All That We Needed
by becstothefecsio
Summary: Semi-AU. Takes place 6 months post "if we ever meet again". Can Beca's love for Jesse be enough of a reason to make her stay or will her career always be her number 1 priority?
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** SEQUEL ALERT! I have some ideas but they're everywhere. I sat down and tried to write the first chapter and voilà. I didn't see a reason to keep this on my laptop and not share it with you, internet people. Enjoy.

* * *

Waking up at 1 :25 am on a Monday would piss off anyone, especially someone that treasured sleep like Beca Mitchell. She was more frustrated than she was pissed off because it wasn't the first time she'd wake up at an unholy hour because of a wet dream.

She forcefully tossed the covers aside and hopped off of the bed, making her way to the kitchen to drink a cup of water. What frustrated her the most was the fact that her dreams always ended too soon, she would never make it through the entire dream. There's _that_ and the fact that in her dreams she was always with the same person. A person she hadn't seen in months but had kept in touch with. A person she had been trying for months to stop loving and wanting.

She thought it was pathetic on many levels that, although it had been over 6 months since he had left, her feels for him were still the same.

Beca placed back the cup and made her way to her bedroom. Standing in the doorway, she decided to take a bath. It sometimes calmed her down enough to go back to bed and sleep what was left of the night because, usually, when wet dreams would wake her up she'd spend the rest of the night lying in bed, itching to go buy a pack of cigarettes and get hammered then wake up the next day with an awful hangover.

She didn't _need_ a hangover. She didn't _need_ to fall into a self-destructive lifestyle.

Beca was filling the bathtub when she heard her phone ring. She knew who was calling her. And, she also knew that she should ignore it yet she couldn't. She walked to the nightstand and picked up her cellphone, right after she took off the t-shirt that she was wearing.

"Hi," she said first, picking up.

 _"Heyyy, bestie. I miss you."_

Beca sighed at his slurred speech.

"Jesse, you should go to bed. It's like four in the morning in New York," she walked into the en-suite bathroom.

 _"I don't feel like going to bed."_

"You have to. But, first, you're gonna go drink water. And, if you don't I'll hang up."

She heard him heavily breathe as she stopped the water when the bathtub was full.

"You know I will," she said as she kicked off her shorts when he didn't respond.

 _"Fine,"_ he groaned. _"So, how are you?"_ he asked.

She could hear a noise that sounded like opening a fridge as he talked.

"I'm great," she shrugged, getting in the tub. She rested her head back and closed her eyes.

 _"I miss you. When are you gonna come visit?"_

"When I have to be there, you'd be the first to know," she assured him. "Drink water, Jesse," she reminded him.

 _"Hold on a second,"_ he said.

"Okay," she replied.

The hot water was so relaxing it was hard to stay alert and hold her phone close to her ear.

 _"I just finished a bottle of water,"_ he informed her, waking her up from her semi-sleep.

"Now go to bed," she urged him to go to bed knowing that he'll regret staying up this late.

 _"I wanna talk to you."_

"We'll talk later."

 _"You always say that but we never do. You just text me that you're busy, which is a fucking lie. You don't want to talk to me anymore."_

His rant was hard to follow because of his slurred speech.

"Jesse, of course, I want to talk to you. But it's really late, and, we both have work to wake up for in a few hours," she reasoned with him.

He went quiet again and the only thing that assured Beca he was still there was his heavy breathing.

 _"I almost hooked up with a girl today,"_ he told her.

"Why didn't you?" she asked.

 _"You know why."_

"No, I don't," she denied.

 _"Yes, you do,"_ He chuckled.

"Well, whatever it is that is holding you back you have to let it go."

 _"I can't,"_ he breathed while making a noise that sounded like hopping on a mattress, _"I can't let it go- I can't stop thinking about you- I can't stop wanting to hold you and kiss you-"_

"Jesse, I'm hanging up-" she said in a sharp voice she has mastered to fake.

 _"-no, no, don't."_

"Don't talk to me like that then. We're friends. You don't talk to friends like that," she continued in the same sharp voice then sighed. "Jesse, go to bed," she said as she played with the water between her fingers. "Jesse?" she called when he went quiet.

"Jesse, you there?" she sat up, starting to worry about him.

 _"I'm sorry,"_ he apologized.

She could hear how he hurt he was through his tone and it made her heart sink. "How's your dog?" she asked, changing the subject.

Jesse had adopted a Shiba Inu after a few weeks of living in New York.

 _"Bender is fine,"_ he replied, _"sleeping at the foot of the bed,"_ he informed her.

 _"Sam likes to get on his back and he does not like it."_

"Oh, yeah?"

 _"She just chases him around while he runs for his life."_

"I bet that's fun to watch," she chuckled.

 _"It is."_

Beca pulled the phone away from her ear to check the time and saw that it was 2:12 am.

"Jesse, it's getting late."

 _"Okay,"_ he breathed, _"I'll leave you alone."_

"Good night or good morning, whatever works," she said.

 _"Good night. I love you,"_ he hiccupped.

"I love you, too," she replied before hanging up then huffed realizing she said it back and hoped he'd forget that he called her when he wakes up.

She sighed dropping her arm over the bathtub and closed her eyes. She missed him. It wasn't just the physical aspect that she ached for. She missed waking up to the smell of breakfast he'd make. She missed finding the dinner he'd leave for her in the fridge. She missed hearing him sing to himself while he cooked or baked. She missed the times they'd watch movies together and he'd ruin them with the non-stop trivia.

He was a great roommate for over four months. Had been a great friend for ten months. And, was a great lover a week. Letting him go was hard, but she sucked it up and was trying to move on with her life.

They didn't even date. They spent a week together and that was it. She couldn't justify why was hung up on him. She partially blamed him for it because he refused to cut communication and insisted they'd stay in touch. Staying in touch and staying friends was the mature thing to do but it was hard and she wanted to stop answering his texts and calls but couldn't. He wasn't doing anything wrong by checking up on her and being a good friend. They never talked about the occasional drunk calls they both made. Texting _**'Sorry'** _ the next day to acknowledge it was all they did.

Feeling the water get colder, Beca opened her eyes. She held her phone up and saw that it was 3:00 am. She got up, wrapped herself in a towel and made her way to her bedroom where she wore back her clothes before she went back to bed.

* * *

7:00 am sharp, her alarm clock went off. She cursed under breath, turning it off before she pulled a pillow over her head. Five minutes later, her phone chimed with a text. She reached for her phone, knowing the content and who texted her before she even looked. She sighed at the text from Jesse that read: _**Sorry.**_

"Way to start a week," she murmured sitting up.

* * *

Her schedule was beyond monotone but it didn't bother her.

She got up.

Showered.

Got dressed.

Hit the road.

Stopped at a Starbucks for coffee.

Got to work on time.

Worked her ass off until five.

Went home.

* * *

She got out of her car, wore her messenger bag and earphones, to avoid chitchats with co-workers in the elevator, and wore her sunglasses before she locked her car and started to make her way to the label's building.

Being it Monday meant that her boss would drop by. He was a very busy and successful guy. He never annoyed her with unnecessary small talk. She liked him.

She was working with interns for the day, which meant talking her thoughts and listening other people talk. She preferred to work by herself but in her job talking was needed because reading thoughts was impossible.

* * *

"Mitchell," Beca heard her boss call as she made her way back to her office.

"Yes," she turned on her heels and watched him lift his sunglasses on top of his head.

"Follow me to my office," he said as he walked past her.

"Okay," she took his lead.

She sat down when he nodded for her to sit. "Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Yes," he drummed his fingers on the desk as he eyed her.

"You've been with us for over two years now," he started to say.

 _I'm getting fired._ Beca thought as she leaned against her seat.

"The album you've produced got an overwhelming critical acclaim and the sales surpassed the figures we thought it would do."

"Hard work pays off," she said when he went quiet.

"It does," he agreed. "I wasn't so sure when Arthur suggested your name to work on the album but he's the head of A&R here and he's good at what he does."

Beca nodded along, not knowing where he was going with this talk of his.

"What are your ambitions in life, Mitchell?" he asked.

"To make music," she answered.

"That's it? All you want to do is make music?" he arched his eyebrows.

"No," Beca sat up.

"I want to do what you do, someday. Be as good. But I've been working as a producer for roughly two years, I still have to learn, and work my way to get where you are," she elaborated.

"You want to run a record label someday?" he asked rhetorically.

"I will run a record label," she said confidently.

"Well," he smiled at her, "you're going to get a step closer to your dream."

Beca watched him in anticipation and kept her cool as he leaned against his seat.

"You are now the head of A&R department."

"Sorry, I'm what?"

"You're promoted from a record producer to the head of Artists and Repertoire Department."

"What about Arthur?" she asked.

"What about him?"

"That's his position," she stated.

"Yeah, here, at the California branch office." he nodded. "His position will be available in a year from now. He's retiring. You can ask for a transfer then," he informed her.

"Where am I going to be working for now?" she asked after patiently waiting for him to finish talking.

"New York branch office."

 _Working in New York for a year. A YEAR. A FUCKING YEAR._

"No-" _-fucking way_.

"No?" he arched an eyebrow. "Are you refusing this promotion? I read your file at human resources. You're not married. You don't have kids- Excuse me for asking, are you in a relationship?"

She shook her head.

"You can easily move to the east coast."

"No, I mean yes. Thank you for considering me for this position," she thanked him. "When do I start?" she asked.

"To be honest, I'm taking Arthur's word. The New York branch is filled with snobby folks, they need someone highly professional. Arthur says you're good. I hope you're good enough. Get your stuff together, you start in two weeks. How does that work for you?"

"I would be stoked to start by then… Sorry, I don't say stoked. I don't say stuff like that. I'm pretty cool."

He watched her as she struggled to keep her excitement to a minimum level.

Was she excited that she was promoted? Abso-fucking-lutely. But a year in New York City then back to L.A could fuck things up for her on an emotional level. She decided that she wasn't going to think about that. She got promoted. That was surreal. People usually worked far more years than her before they got the position of the head of Artists and Repertoire Department. She was definitely going to do something to thank Arthur for making this promotion possible. Send him a singing telegram? Nope. She should leave figuring out how to thank him later when she's back to her normal self.

* * *

"Chloe," Beca said, when Chloe picked up, as she walked out of the elevator and headed to the parking lot, "we're going out clubbing later."

 _"Clubbing?"_ Chloe said in puzzlement, _"Beca, it's Monday,"_ she reminded her friend.

"I own a fucking calendar, I know what day it is. We're celebrating because I got promoted!" she informed her friend, unable to keep herself from grinning. "I'm the new head of artists and repertoire department-"

 _"-Holy shit. That is awesome, Beca!"_ Chloe exclaimed.

"-in the New York branch office."

 _"You're going to New York!"_

Beca had to pull the phone away from her ear for a second for how high pitched Chloe's voice was.

"Yeah," Beca unlocked her car and got inside. "I can transfer back here in a year when the position becomes available."

 _"Are you planning on moving back here?"_

"Probably," Beca sighed starting her car.

 _"But what about Jesse, he's there."_

"I know that he's there."

 _"You love him. He still does."_

"But my life is here, in L.A."

 _"If you're scared of being with him don't look for excuses… We'll talk when I see you. Also, no to clubbing, I'm exhausted. Come over later, we're celebrating in a calmer way, okay?"_

"Yeah, okay."

Hanging up, Beca held her phone, deciding to tell Jesse about her promotion and how she was going to live in New York where he lived, but leave out the possibility of it being just for a year. It could be for longer but she never really liked living in New York and she doubted she'd change her mind in a year.

Hesitantly, she typed _ **'Hey, Jesse, guess what?'** _ and hit sent.

 _ **'Destiny child's going on tour?'**_ he texted back in a matter of seconds. She chuckled reading his text.

 ** _'No. Guess again.'_**

This time, he took a while before texting.

 _ **'You're visiting?'**_

 _ **'Close. I'm moving to New York.'** s_ he texted.

As soon as her text was sent out he called.

 _"You're moving to New York City?"_ he exclaimed.

"I got promoted and the job is in the New York branch office," she informed him, leaving out the fact that she was planning on moving back to L.A in a year.

 _"When are you going to come?"_ he asked, not hiding his excitement.

"I start work in two weeks."

 _"I can't believe you're going to live her. I miss you so much."_

"I've missed you too."

 _"Yeah, hey, listen, can I call you later? I'm kinda in the middle of something. I'm helping a friend move furniture."_

"Sure. Sorry for keeping you."

 _"Sorry? Thank you for calling. Okay, he's glaring at me right now,"_ Jesse laughed. _"Congrats on the promotion, bye!"_

"Bye," she smiled, hanging up.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Thank you for the feedback my fellow human beings.

* * *

"This is really good," Beca said right after she swallowed the cake she barely chewed. "When did you learn to bake?" she asked.

"I took a class a while ago," Chloe informed her.

"Well, it paid off… just don't eat too much cake you might get diabetes," Beca gestured between Chloe and her husband.

"Don't worry about that. We burn off what we eat," Chloe assured her and winked.

Tom, Chloe's husband, glanced up from his laptop for a second.

"I'm gonna go work in a different room," he said as he stood.

"Okay," Chloe smiled at him, and so did Beca they made eye contact.

"You just made him uncomfortable," Beca said, watching Tom walk into his and Chloe's bedroom.

"He'll be fine," Chloe shrugged. "So, New York, huh?"

"Yeah," Beca nodded.

"You gonna move back in a year?"

"I already answered you," Beca deadpanned.

"You gave a vague answer," Chloe Shrugged.

"Do I want to live in New York? Nope, I barely tolerate that place. Do I want to fuck up my career by turning down this promotion? Nope, I might as well just resign. Do I want to mess with Jesse's feelings for a year then leave him? Nope, the last thing I want is to make him suffer," she took a sip of champagne then sighed.

"You still haven't given me a clear answer," Chloe stated.

"I don't have a clear answer," Beca mumbled, reaching for her bag when she heard her phone.

"It's him, isn't it?" Chloe smirked, eyeing her friend who was holding back a smile when she saw the caller id.

"Shut up," she glanced at Chloe then made her way to the front door and unlocked it.

"Hey," she greeted, picking up and locking the door behind her.

 _"Hi. Sorry about earlier. My friend will not have let me live down what I was going to say to you if he heard me,"_ he told her.

"And what's that?" she questioned, leaning against the door.

 _"I can't wait to see you. In two weeks, I'll get to hold you. I'm pretty sure that I will not be able to focus on anything until then-"_

"-Okay, I'm gonna stop you there before it gets too cheesy," she interrupted him and heard him chuckle.

 _"Sorry,"_ he apologized. _"I'll try to keep the cheesiness at a minimum level. I can't make you any promises, though."_

"It's fine," she shrugged.

 _"Have I told you how much I miss you?"_ he sighed.

"I don't think you did," she replied in amusement.

 _"Well, I do. I miss you so much... I sound like a broken record, don't I?"_ he asked.

"No, you're good," Beca assured him. "I miss your face, too," she confessed.

 _"Just the face, nothing else?"_ he asked suggestively making her chuckle.

"Shut up."

 _"Jeez, your mind is dirty,"_ he clicked his tongue, _"I was hinting at a completely different thing."_

"I'm sure you were," she said sarcastically.

 _"My company, that's what I was hinting at. Don't you miss my company?"_

"I do," she admitted then pulled the phone away to see what time it was to find it 8:41 pm which meant it was 11:41 pm in NYC.

"You went to bed really late and it's 11:41 pm now, how the hell are you still up?" she questioned.

 _"I don't think I'll be able to go to bed."_

"Why is that?"

 _"I'm way too happy for sleep. I think I'm gonna go compose,"_ he informed her.

"Well, have fun and don't get drunk and wake me up in the middle of the night to play it for me," she warned.

 _"I won't. Promise,"_ he assured her. _"You'll listen to all of the stuff I wrote when you get here."_

"You've been doing a lot composing, huh?"

 _"Yeah, turns out being miserable has some perks… Anyway, how's the promotion celebrations going?"_

"I wanted to go out clubbing but Chloe is tired, Amy is out of town, Emily's mother is here, and I don't feel comfortable dragging acquaintances clubbing on a Monday," she told him.

Ever since college Beca's group of friends stayed the same. The Bellas were the only true friends she ever had and only three of them lived in L.A.

 _"What are you doing then?"_ he asked.

"I'm at Chloe's, we're just hanging. She made a cake."

 _"Cake. That's nice."_

"Yeah," she agreed.

 _"I don't hear Chloe which means you either locked yourself up in a room or got out of the apartment for privacy."_

"The latter."

 _"When you get back inside tell Chloe I said hi,"_ he told her.

"Will do."

 _"Shit!"_

Beca heard a distant crashing noise accompanied with barking.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

 _"I forgot to feed Bender,"_ he informed her, _"so he took matters into his own hands- paws in his case."_

"You forgot to feed your dog!"

 _"Yeah, I had other things on my mind."_

"It's almost midnight in New York!" she exclaimed. "You let your dog starve the whole day?"

 _"Shut up, I feel awful already. And for the record, I fed him when I came home around 1 pm… Hey buddy,"_ he sighed, _"I'm sorry."_

"How bad is it?" she asked when the dog stopped barking.

 _"Not so bad. It should take me roughly 15 minutes to clean up the mess he made."_

"I should leave you to it then."

 _"Okay,"_ he sighed. _"Good night."_

"Night," she replied before hanging up. She knocked on the door and stepped in when Tom opened it for her. "I was on the phone," she informed him, noting the curious look on his face. Tom nodded at her words and locked the door.

* * *

Beca laid in bed, later that night, unable to fall asleep. She had a lot to think about: her promotion, leaving L.A., her home of almost 4 years, leaving her friends, selling her car since it would be of no use in New York City- _bless whoever can drive in that place-_ Beca thought—and Jesse. She couldn't wait to see him.

Glancing at the time she saw that it was almost 1 am, she sighed and closed her eyes, pulling the covers closer and hoping to fall asleep.

* * *

The couple of weeks Beca had left in L.A. past quicker than she had expected. She had a lot to do, be it: cleaning her desk, selling her car, ending her apartment lease, packing her belongs and sending them to New York, where they would be waiting for her to unpack them once she rented an apartment.

The label was going to pay for her stay in a hotel for a month until she figured out where she was going to live. She had one thing figured out when it came to that and it was the borough. The borough's Brooklyn because the branch office was there.

The fact that Jesse also lived in Brooklyn was a plus. It would be a pain in the ass to see him on a regular basis if he lived in Staten Island.

* * *

She spent her last night in L.A. on Chloe's couch.

"Can't fall asleep?" Chloe asked when she woke up in the middle of the night to get herself a glass of water and heard Beca hum a song.

"Yep," Beca titled her head to look at her friend.

"Excited or scared?" Chloe asked, taking a seat on the couch next to Beca.

"Both," Beca sat up, sighing when she checked the time to find it 2:41 am.

"You should get some sleep," Chloe leaned against the couch. "You got a long day ahead of you."

"I'll sleep on the flight."

"You can't sleep on flights," Chloe tilted her head to look at her friend. "You didn't when we traveled to Europe for the worlds."

"I'll have Ambien- How do you know I didn't sleep the whole flight? Were you watching me, Bale?" Beca demanded in mock horror.

"You had dark circle under your eyes when we landed and you were grumpier than a grumpy old man forced to babysit," Chloe yawned.

"Go back to sleep, Chloe."

Chloe nodded stifling another yawn then got up.

"Try to sleep," Chloe patted Beca's cheek before making her way to her bedroom.

Beca watched Chloe until she walked into her bedroom then changed her position, closing her eyes, trying to fall back asleep. She gave up on sleep when she looked at the time and saw that it was 3:07 am and decided to wake Jesse up. With the time difference, it would be 6:07 am in New York.

She texted him: _ **'WAKE UP.'** _ 10 times.

No respond.

 ** _'Get up.'_**

' _ **I can't sleep.'**_

 _ **'Jesse'**_

 _ **'Get the fuck up.'**_

 _ **'And talk to me.'**_

 _ **'I feel ignored.'**_

 _ **'Oh my god, are you dead?'**_

 _ **'WAKE UP.'**_

 _ **'Who's going to feed Bender?'**_

 _ **'I'm up.'** _ He replied.

 ** _'It's the middle of the night there.'_**

 ** _'What are you doing up?'_**

She read his next with a really stupid grin on her face.

 _ **'I told you, I can't sleep.'** s_ he texted.

 ** _'Is everything alright?'_** his reply came fast.

 _ **'I just wanted to wake you up.'**_

' _ **YOU**_ _ **'RE GOING DOWN FOR THIS!'**_

 ** _'I don't care.'_**

 ** _'When is your flight?'_**

 ** _'I didn't tell you when you asked me before I'm not telling you now.'_**

 ** _'Oh, c'mon_** ** _Becs.'_**

 ** _'No.'_**

 ** _'Please?'_**

 ** _'No.'_**

 ** _'Fine.'_**

Beca wanted to check in the hotel then go check on her belongings at the self-storage unit. She had a feeling that if she saw Jesse first she wouldn't get anything done. She was planning on paying Jesse a visit at work. She asked him when he drunk dialed her about the time he gets off work on Thursdays since she would arrive on a Thursday and he told her that he worked until 5.

* * *

"Classy," Beca said in appreciation as she eyed the room her label booked her. She put her suitcase aside and hopped on the bed, wondering how many people have had sex on it.

She played with a lock of her hair between her fingers then got up after a few minutes.

* * *

After checking on her belongings, she took the subway, heading to where Jesse worked as a school teacher. Thanks to Google map, she got the school at 4:47 pm. She took a seat on the sidewalk across the street and waited.

Hearing the bell ring, her heart started to race. She watched the students as they started to rush out of the school and got up, looking around for him until she saw him. He was chatting with some other teacher, wearing a shirt and dark jeans, his hair looked like it needed a new haircut.

She couldn't move, she wanted to but she couldn't. She kept watching him until he looked at her and grinned before quickly excusing himself and starting to make his way to her.

She waved nervously, watching him as he got closer.

"Hi," he greeted when reached her, "you look great."

"You too," she replied, leaning in then pulling away, hesitantly, and sort of shyly.

"C'mere," he cupped her face and leaned in, pressing his lips against hers. He kissed her passionately, deepening the kiss when she rested her hands on his shoulders and pulled him closer to her.

Keeping in mind that they were in public, Beca eased out of the kiss, sighing when he rested his forehead against hers before looking up to meet his gaze.

Smiling, he wrapped her in his arms and buried his face in her neck.

"I can't believe you're here," he squeezed her in his arms. "I can't believe you're with me."

"Me neither," she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Taking a deep breath, Jesse placed a kiss on her neck and pulled away, unwrapping his arms from around her then took her hand in his.

"I didn't expect to find you waiting for me, to be honest," he said as they started to walk.

"I know."

"This was a very pleasant surprise," he squeezed her hand.

"I know."

"I love you," he confessed softly.

"I know."

Jesse chuckled and looked back ahead of him then felt her hand when she held his chin and tilted his head.

She leaned up and brushed her lips against his, "I love you too," she mumbled before she pecked his lips.

Jesse had to blink a couple of times to register what had just happened. He dreamt she said it. He thought she said it when he drunk dialed her. She slurred it when she drunk dialed him. But it was the first time he heard her tell him she loved him.

"I'm starved," she said as they continued to walk. "What do you recommend I eat?" she asked, amused by the blank look on his face.

"Um, I don't know," he blew a breath, "pizza?"

"Pizza?" she frowned.

"Yeah, we're in New York," he shrugged.

"All right… There's a pizza place over there," she nodded at the place.

"We could order Pizza," he started to say and watched as she tilted her head to look at him, "from my place if you want."

"I'd like to see your place," she casually swung their hands as they walked then glanced up to find him smiling at her.

* * *

"Welcome to mi casa," Jesse unlocked the door and stepped back, letting Beca walk in first.

"Cozy," she said eyeing the place. "Hey, buddy," she bent down when Bender came running to them and played with him.

Jesse tossed his messenger bag on the couch.

"Beer while we wait for Pizza?"

Bender followed Jesse to the kitchenette so she straightened.

"Yeah, sure," she nodded, picking up drawings she noticed on the coffee table.

"Sammy is quite the artist," Jesse said when he saw her from the kitchenette.

"For a year and half old toddler, she's pretty good, _I think_." She looked up.

"They're a bunch random scribblings but thanks for saying that," he handed her a beer. "Pizza should be here soon."

"Thanks," she held the beer his way before bringing it to her lips.

"You welcome," he smiled at her then made his way to the couch and hopped on it.

"School year is ending," she drummed her fingers on the beer after she put down the drawings, "what are you planning on doing for the summer?"

"I got a job stacking CDs at a radio station," he informed her.

"That should be fun," she snorted sitting next to him.

"It's good money and a little effort," he shrugged.

"You might have some hot young station manager," she took a sip from her beer and heard him chuckle.

"Or a grumpy, cynical, angry at the world, 50 something guy," he threw his arm over the couch.

"It could go either way," she tilted her head, leaning in when he wouldn't stop staring at her lips then pulling away when the doorbell rang. Jesse sighed, getting up.

"I could help you find some part-time job," she said, watching him walk back with two pizza boxes in hand.

"No, I owe you a lot already," he put down the boxes on the coffee table.

"We're friends. You don't _owe_ me anything."

"Best friends," he corrected, sitting next to her before opening one of the boxes and heavily sighing as he eyed the pizza. "I think I'm in love," he joked, grabbing a slice.

"Paw," Beca gave her hand to Bender when he came to her, smiling when he lifted his paw.

"Good boy," she praised him, bringing a slice of pizza to her mouth. "He's so soft," she mumbled, patting the dog.

"I know right?"

"How old is he?"

"8 months," he answered.

They got into a comfortable silence as they ate and played with Bender.

* * *

"Thanks for dinner," Beca sucked her teeth eyeing Jesse as he got rid of the boxes.

"Yeah, no problem."

"I think I should get going."

"Why? You just got here," he paced to the living area.

She didn't know how to answer him.

"Did I do something?" he asked.

"No," she nervously chuckled, deciding that the coffee table was a great sight to stare at.

"It's not even 8 yet," he checked the time then looked back at her, "I'll drop you off later."

Jesse sat down next to her and nudged her, "you bored of me already?" he asked.

"Yeah," she looked up.

"Well, I can't get enough of you," he took a lock of her hair between his fingers.

Beca knew that she had tell him about her plans to move back to L.A. but the way he was adoringly looking at her was keeping her from breaking the news just yet. She also knew that if she got any closer to him there was no turning back.

He leaned in and softly kissed her. She kissed him back forcefully, cupping his face and climbed on his lap when he pulled her to him.

"Beca," he mumbled.

"Mhmm?"

"We should take it slow," he said as he hungrily placed kisses on her jawline, neck, and collarbone.

"Why?" she started to unbutton his shirt, bringing his lips to hers.

"I wanna take you out on an actual date," he took her hands after pulling away.

"A date?" she heavily breathed.

He nodded.

"We'll go out on a date," she cupped his face and leaned in.

"When?"

"Jesus, Jesse," she pulled away, "we're kinda in the middle of something," she playfully slapped him.

"I can't afford to lose you again," he held her hand.

"Jesse, I'm here now," she held his chin up. "Don't worry about tomorrow."

She gazed into his comforting brown eyes and felt bad for keeping the fact that she was going to leave in a year from him.

"Okay," he cracked a smile. He noticed the thoughtful look on her face and decided not to overthink it.

"C'mere," he cupped her face and kissed her.

"I think someone is jealous," Beca chuckled, hearing Bender bark.

Jesse sat up and helped her wrap her legs around his waist before getting up.

"Sorry, buddy," Jesse pulled away just enough to apologize to his dog before walking into his bedroom and kicking the door closed behind them.


	3. Chapter 3

"Spend the night over," Jesse said before pressing his lips against Beca's, kissing her tenderly while playing with a lock of her hair between his fingers as they laid in bed.

"No," Beca eased out of the kiss then sat up. "I don't wanna make a habit out of it," she patted his cheek. "Plus, it's my first night in New York," she sighed as she looked around for her clothes.

"What's wrong with making a habit out of sleeping over?" he watched her wear her underwear.

"Clinginess," she glanced at him, hooking her bra. "Clinginess is what's wrong," she slipped on her jeans.

"You afraid I'd suffocate you?"

"I wouldn't say _suffocate_ ," she shrugged, wearing her belt.

"But that's what you mean," he got up and started to get dressed as well.

"Sorta," she looked up and eyed him as he aimlessly looked around for his shirt.

The room was dim but thanks to the street lights she could see. She reached for the light switch and turn the lights on.

"Dude, you need a haircut," she watched him as he buttoned his shirt.

"It's just sex hair," he tried to calm his hair.

"And you happen to have sex hair 24/7?" she made her way to him. He shrugged and continued buttoning his shirt.

"What, I don't see you for 6 months and you become Casanova?" she snorted.

"Don Juan," he jokingly corrected.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's the case," she nodded at his nightstand then patted his chest when he glanced at it. There were a lotion bottle and a tissue box on the nightstand.

"I'll get a haircut," he chuckled and turned on his heels, watching Beca step into the en-suite bathroom to use the mirror.

She hadn't worn back her t-shirt so he found himself staring at her before he joined her in the en-suite bathroom and stood behind her and saw for himself why she mentioned his need to get a haircut. He tried to calm his hair down but soon realized that he wasn't making any difference. He glanced at Beca who was doing damage control to her smudged makeup.

"You look fine," he assured her, leaning in to place a kiss on her shoulder.

"I look like I wrestled a squirrel possessed by a ninja assassin's spirit while dodging fireballs thrown at me by super Mario in a very humid room," she glanced up.

Jesse let out a small laugh at her words then said, "I should have turned on the AC."

"Yep," she sighed, giving up on her makeup. "You should have turned on the AC," she turned on her heels.

She held his gaze until he glanced down at her breasts before looking back at her with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"C'mere," she pulled him down to her, kissing him hard.

It was a hot June night. She was sweaty. He was sweaty. She wanted to shower and sleep but she wanted him more.

"You changed your mind about staying?" he mumbled, pulling away just enough to inhale some oxygen.

"Maybe," she cupped his face and pulled him down to her.

"You think you can be more precise?" he questioned, cupping her butt.

"Nope," she pressed herself against him.

He quickly unbuttoned his shirt as it was keeping him from feeling her skin against his and chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she asked pulling away and taking his hand before she started to walk out of the en-suite bathroom.

"We're worse than a couple of hormonal teenagers," he breathlessly said then pulled her back to him in a way she slammed into his chest.

"I'm usually not like this," she looked up and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Me neither," he cupped her cheek.

"One more round then I'm out of here," she helped him take off his shirt and tossed on the floor.

He gave her puppy dog eyes and she chuckled and leaned up.

"Don't get greedy," she said against his lips, laughing when he picked her up and pinned her against the wall.

"Just say stop and I will," he tucked some loose locks of her hair behind her ear.

"Okay," she leaned in and kissed him forcefully. "Okay, stop," she pulled away, gasping for air, and tried really hard to keep her expression neutral as she watched him put her down before turning on his heels.

"I'm messing with you," she took his arm and guided him to sit on the bed where she sat on his lap and brought his lips to hers. He fell back on the bed , holding her close to him.

They were passionately making out when they heard a knock on the front door.

"Probably a neighbor to complain about Bender," Jesse said when Beca pulled away.

"Bender started barking when they knocked- You should go check who's at the door," she got off of him.

"You go."

"Why? -Do you have a pen in here?"

"I have a huge hard on. - Look in that pile over, there's a pencil."

She walked to the pile of paper and picked up the pencil using it to pull hair up into a bun then tilted her head to look at the door when she heard scratching and the barking got louder as the person knocking the door kept knocking.

She walked to the door and unlocked it. Bender glowed at her then made his way into the bedroom.

"Your dog officially hates me," Beca watched Jesse pat his dog while unzipping his pants as it started to get uncomfortable.

"Nah," he patted his dog's back lightly, "my boy loves everyone, don't you Bender?" Jesse said in a funny voice before leaning and placing a kiss on his head.

Beca picked up Jesse's shirt from the floor and wore it as it was the first thing she found and wore it. She buttoned the shirt as she walked to the front door. Standing in front of the door, she took a deep breath before she reached and unlocked it.

"Hi," the neighbor greeted in surprise.

"Hello," Beca smiled at her.

"Is Jesse here?"

"Yeah, he's here. He's busy. Wanna leave him a message?"

"I just came to see if he was still up for tonight," she eyed Beca with a frown on her face. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Um, I'm a friend from L.A.," Beca informed her. It was getting late, it made Beca wonder about what kind of plans Jesse had made with his gorgeous neighbor on a Thursday night that he forgot to mention.

"L.A.?"

"Yep."

"You're Beca," the neighbor said in realization.

"How do you know my name?" Beca frowned.

"Jesse mentioned you. He didn't say that you were visiting, though."

Beca figured from the neighbor's tone that she and Jesse were friends.

"Hey Kate," Jesse called as he walked out of the bedroom.

Beca tilted her head to look at him, glancing at his junk. _He took care of it-_ she thought, seeing that he no longer had an erection.

Beca stepped back and let the neighbor get in and closed the door behind her so that Bender wouldn't get out.

"What's up?" Jesse asked as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"We were supposed to finish watching Narcos," Kate reminded him.

"Oh, yeah, I totally forgot."

"I see that," she said.

Beca leaned against a wall and watched the neighbor then followed with her eyes to look at what she was ogling; Jesse's chest and probably biceps. He didn't have an athletic build but he was more or less toned. He hadn't hit the gym in a while and she noticed it the moment he took off his shirt.

"What show was that again?" Beca asked as she looked at Jesse and his neighbor.

"Narcos. It's a Netflix show about the Medellin cartel," Jesse answered her.

"Netflix. Cool," Beca straightened up, "Well, it was nice meeting you, Kate," she casually glanced at her watch then made her way to Jesse's bedroom to look for her t-shirt and shoes and leave.

* * *

"What's wrong?" Jesse asked when he walked in and saw how she angrily tossed his shirt on the bed.

"Jesse, your _friendly_ neighbor is waiting for you at the door so that you'd watch Netflix and chill together."

He stood still puzzled at her tone. She sounded mad but not really mad. It was weird. He watched her as she walked around the room looking for her shoes and t-shirt and wearing them in a hurry before she walked into the en-suite bathroom.

"I told her that I'm busy and canceled our plans," he made his way to the en-suite bathroom. "Wait, are you jealous?" he asked knowingly when it hit him.

"I am not jealous," she scoffed and walked past him after fixing her hair.

"You are and you shouldn't be because I've tried for six long months to forget you and it didn't work," he pulled her into his embrace and hugged her. "I have no interest in Kate or any woman that isn't you," he placed a kiss on her head.

"But she's very interested in you. And don't you dare say you didn't notice how she looks at you."

"I have noticed," he pulled away. "Remember when I called you in the middle of the night two weeks ago?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"I told you that I almost hooked up with a girl," he reminded her and watched as she nodded.

"Her? You almost hooked up with her?"

"Yep," he nodded, "I was really drunk and she was throwing hints at me and I just couldn't do it," he shrugged. "Instead, I went home and woke you up, for which I apologize again. I know how much you like to sleep," he let go of her and picked up his shirt and wore it.

"How far did you go?" she asked quietly.

"Huh?" he looked up as he buttoned his shirt.

"How far did you and your neighbor go before you decided not to sleep with her?" she ran her fingers through her hair. "You don't have to answer me if you don't want to," she shrugged and looked away from him.

She had no right to question him. He was free to do whatever (and whoever) he wanted. They weren't together.

Jesse sat down on the bed and rubbed his hands together, "well, we were watching Game of Thrones and we decided to play a drinking game they made for the show, and that she found on Buzzfeed. We got trashed. She made a move. I turned her down and left."

"That's it?" she said in surprise.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"You didn't even kiss?"

"She just put her hand on my crotch and I took her hand and removed it. That's the furthest it got, I swear," he watched as she made her way to the bed and sat next to him.

"I promise that I'm not the jealous type," she chuckled humorlessly.

"I know you Bec, you don't have to tell me. And even if you were, it's cool," he shrugged, taking her hand in his. He interlocked their fingers then brought her hand to his lips and placed a kiss on her knuckles.

"Well," she exhaled, "it is getting late."

"You gonna leave?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"I'm dropping you off."

She was going to argue that she knew how to get to where she was staying but decided not to. He was being caring and sweet.

"Okay," she smiled at him.

* * *

"This is where you're staying?" he said when they reached The Bliss hotel.

She nodded, "until I get an apartment."

"You're the director of A&R, they should have booked you at a better hotel," he stopped walking.

"It's all right. And, I'm new at this. Not like I'm famous or anything. I mean, my boss wasn't sure about promoting me in the first place," she smiled at him.

"You gonna kick ass at this job," he cupped her face.

"Head of A&R is basically a record producer but with more responsibilities," she shrugged off the anxiety of her fear of failure.

"Yep," he leaned in and kissed her. "Good night," he smiled at her pulling away.

"Night," she watched him as he walked away and felt a knot in her stomach tightening. She knew that reason behind it was her not mentioning the length of her stay in New York City. "Fuck," she murmured. "Jesse," she called.

"Yeah?" he turned on his heels, arching his eyebrows.

"I love you," she said and he grinned stuffing his hands in his pockets before replying, "I know," and turning on his heels.

She couldn't bring herself to tell him that she was planning on leaving. She blew a breath and started to make her way towards the hotel's entrance.

She was selfish and she knew it.

* * *

After a long shower, she got dressed in comfortable clothes and pulled her laptop and started it planning to go over her work schedule.

She didn't get why Arthur, the director of A&R at the California branch office, recommended her for the same position at the New York branch.

She worked under his direct supervision on the last album she worked on, the album that she produced on her own. He didn't assign anyone else to work with her. She felt like he was testing her by giving her the opportunity to produce the whole album. She worked hard and lived up to his expectations.

As a head of A&R, she was going to do more than make music. She was going to find talent and sign them. Figure out and pick which music producers, songwriters, and other professionals from their business that were going to work with the new talent under her supervision. Help the discovered talent create better music, teach them ways that will make them better musicians, sharpen their skills, mentor them… It was a lot of pressure. She had to perfect her job because Arthur believed in her. He saw that she could do what he did and she wasn't going to disappoint him.

Beca blew a breath as she eyed her schedule. First days always sucked for her (and a good percentage of the human population). She wasn't a people person and she had a strong feeling that the fact that she was going to boss a lot of people around was going to be difficult.

She shut her laptop and laid down, closing her eyes.

"I can do this," she confidently said to herself.

* * *

 **AN:** What d'you think, will Beca suck it up and tell Jesse? Will she suck at her new job?

Thanks for passing by.


	4. Chapter 4

"All right, let's do this," Beca blew a breath, tightening her grip on her laptop bag as she walked in the building where she worked.

She was both excited and horrified. It took her a while to warm up to everyone, at her old job- No one actually cared about her so it wasn't a problem then.

In her new job, though, she knew that she can't say in her bubble and work in silence. She needed to communicate and have a good working relationship with everyone. She was going to boss an entire department around and thanks to her experience as a captain in her Bella days she knew how to be a team player. But then again she wasn't going to be competing in a cappella competitions with her girlfriends.

Stepping out of the elevator, she took a look around at the office. The gigantic windows were the first thing that caught her eyes. The second thing that she noticed was the fact that there no walls separating most offices. The third thing that grabbed her attention was a worker (or an intern she couldn't tell) dressed in sweatpants.

Her glass-walled office was in the back. "Awesome," she murmured. She would have preferred a little privacy but if glass-walls was how they rolled on the east coast she wasn't going to complain.

"Can I help you?" asked the bearded twenty-something guy that came up to her.

"I'm Beca Mitchell," she started to introduce herself.

"New director of A&R," he finished for her. She nodded and didn't miss the way he quickly checked her out with a smirk on his face.

"I'm Matt Woodward. I'm in charge of the marketing department," he extended his hand. She took it and shook it briefly.

"The morning debriefing," he used air quotation and made a face, "is in five minutes, I'll introduce you," he stuffed his hands in his pockets and started to walk when she did.

"Cool," she looked around for what might be a conference room. There wasn't any. There were a few glass-walled offices and that was it.

Hearing Matt whistle, she looked up.

"Guys," he said when he got everyone's attention with his whistling. "Since our boss isn't in town, I'm gonna do the pleasure of introducing the new gal at work," he gestured with his hand at Beca.

She took it as a cue to introduce herself. She smiled at Matt. "Hello," she looked at her other co-workers.

"I'm Beca Mitchell," she started to introduce herself and felt like she was the new kid at school, "the new A&R director and I look forward to working with you all," she said, keeping her introduction short.

She made sure to keep eye contact as she talked.

"All right," Matt clapped his hands, "you met the girl that the big guy sent from the west coast, you may go back to work now," he gestured for them to go. Beca didn't like the way he was talking, his tone was ironic and not professional. She liked it when people at work were more or less casual. She didn't want to place any judgments but he was way too casual.

"No debriefing?" she asked Matt.

"Nah," he answered.

"Okay. I'll see around Matt," she politely smiled at him then started to make her way to her office.

"Don't you wanna have a tour?" he asked.

"I don't wanna keep you from your work," she tilted her head. "Thanks for offering," she looked back ahead of her, sighing when she felt his gaze on her. She had a feeling he was checking her out so she glanced at him and caught him shamelessly checking her out.

* * *

"Hey," Beca rested her hand on Jesse's shoulders. "Sorry," she apologized, seeing that she startled him then leaned in and kissed him hello.

"How was your first day at work?" Jesse asked when Beca sat next to him on a bench at Central Park.

"Eye-opening," she took the half a sandwich he handed her.

He looked at her as he bit into his half, waiting for her to elaborate.

"Yeah, they do not mess around," she blew a breath. "It didn't completely suck, then again I set really low expectations," she shrugged. "Sandra running late?"

"Yep, she's stuck in traffic. She should be here soon," he took a bite from the half a sandwich he had.

* * *

"Hey, Bec what are we?" he asked her breaking the comfortable silence they got in.

"What?"

"What are we?" he threw his arm over the bench.

"Best friends?" she didn't want to be the one to ask if they wanted to label their relationship.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "Look, I haven't taken you out on a proper date yet and you've been here for roughly four days but I wanna be honest from the get go, Bec."

She sat up and nodded for him to keep going.

"I don't want to share you with anyone. I've known you for some time now and I remember how refused to label your relationship with Luke," he paused to run his fingers through his hair. "What I'm trying to say is that I get that you take time before getting into an exclusive relationship. I'm cool with that but I'd like to know that _eventually_ you'd get into a monogamist relationship with me," he arched his eyebrows noting the blank look on her face. "Are you going to _eventually_ be my girlfriend?"

It was like he could sense that she was going to bail _eventually_. She kept looking into his eye as she tried to work up the courage to tell him the truth.

"Jesse, there's something I've been meaning to tell you," she started to say and watched him frown.

"I… I'm… Um…," she ran her fingers through her hair. He placed a hand on her back and gave her a quick rub.

"I'm not staying," she finally said.

"What do you mean you're not staying?"

"This job is temporary. I'm moving back home," she informed him.

He removed his hand from her back and sat up.

"Dada!"

"Hey," Jesse smiled getting up and opening his arms for his daughter who was running her way to him.

"How's my little monkey doing?" he asked, picking her up.

She squealed when he kissed her neck.

"Hi," Beca got up when she made eye contact with Sandra.

"Hello," Sandra greeted her then looked at her daughter and ex-husband.

"Hey Sammy, mommy gotta go now," Sandra leaned up and kissed her daughter. "Have fun at Daddy's,"

"Say bye-bye to mommy," Jesse said to his daughter.

"Bye-bye," she waved watching her mother walk away.

"Sammy, this is dada's best friend Beca," Jesse sighed, turning to look at Beca.

"Hi Sammy," Beca smiled. "You're a very cute kid, you know that?" she said eyeing Sam who had really grown up from the last time she had seen her; she had more teeth, longer hair- that was held up in cute pigtails- she looked different and it had only been 6 months and she would occasionally stalk Jesse on social media and see the pictures he uploaded with/of his daughter and nothing compared to seeing her in the flesh.

"Say hi to Beca," Jesse rubbed his daughter's back when she buried her face in his neck.

"It's okay," Beca shrugged. "Thanks for the sandwich," she picked up her bag. "Half a sandwich," she corrected herself.

"You have somewhere to be?" he asked.

"No. I just figured I should just go."

"Sammy, would you like it if Beca had dinner with us?" he asked his daughter. "Nod," he whispered into his daughter's ear. "Nod and we can make smoothies tomorrow," he continued to whisper. Sam enjoyed the process of making a smoothie but not actually drinking it.

He smiled to himself when she nodded then looked up from his neck.

"See, Sam wants you to come," he looked at Beca.

"What did you tell your daughter?" Beca asked him then looked at Sam. "What did he tell you?"

"Sammy is no snitch," he placed a kiss on her cheek.

"C'mon Becs," he nodded for Beca to walk.

Beca didn't understand Jesse's reaction. She didn't know what to expect but she certainly didn't expect him to not say anything.

"Okay," she started to walk with him.

* * *

"Bec remember the last time we cooked?" he asked knowingly.

"Yeah," she watched him put the grocery on the counter. "I'm pretty sure the amount of flour we wasted could have made enough crackers to keep me fed for at least a week."

"We did waste a lot of flour," he chuckled.

"Yeah, and I had to clean up all by myself. I couldn't bring myself to wake you. I felt bad 'cause you caught a cold from me," she smiled at the memory.

Jesse smiled then pulled his phone from his pocket. She took his phone when he handed it to her after going through it for a few seconds.

"We looked amazing," she chuckled, eyeing the selfie he took the day they made pizza and got into a flour fight.

"Sammy, you're not helping me," he said in sing-song noting her absence.

"My Bender," they heard her say.

Noting the frown on Beca's face, Jesse said, "she's playing with Bender."

"Who's gonna help me cook?" he asked his daughter in a loud enough voice as he eyed her from the kitchenette.

She grinned, meeting his gaze, and pointed at Beca.

"Beca is our guest. We shouldn't let guests help us cook."

"Dude, your kid is busy," Beca found herself grinning as she watched Sam hug Bender. "I don't mind helping out," she shrugged. "As long as there's no flour involved," she quickly added.

* * *

"Bender isn't running for his life," Beca remarked as she checked on Sam to find her DIY-ing accessories and putting them on the dog.

"Sometimes, he just gives up," Jesse shrugged. "Sam is really persistent."

"Wonder who she gets it from," she said as she leaned against the kitchen counter.

"She gets a lot of things from me," he added the pasta to the boiling water.

"Hey, Bec do you know how to make holy water?" he asked.

"Nope."

"You boil the _hell_ out of it," he chuckled to himself.

Beca eyed him for a few seconds then said, "I hope Sam doesn't get your humor."

"So, when are you headed back to L.A?" he asked as he stirred the pasta.

"In a year," she answered, surprised he decided to talk about it. "I wanted to tell you but I couldn't-"

"-why?" he cut her off.

"I don't know," she shrugged.

He nodded, putting the spoon on the counter before he pulled a beer from the fridge.

"If you're mad at me say it. It's weird when you're quiet."

"I'm not mad at you," he eyed her. "What made you think that I'd be mad at you?"

"Nothing. Forget about it. I'm gonna get going," she started to make her way to the living area to pick up her things. "I shouldn't have come here in the first place," she murmured.

"Beca," he sighed, following her. "Why are you always in a rush to leave?"

"I'm leaving in a year, might as well just go now and save us a lot of time," she shrugged.

"I don't want you to leave. If I could duct tape you here so that you won't go, I'd do it," he made his way to her and held her chin and tilted her head to look at him. "I can't make you stay but I can convince you to stay," he smiled at her, removing his hand.

"I really don't think that would work."

"You know, I wouldn't pass this up. Once I'm a very famous composer, I probably won't have time for you," he joked then pulled her into his embrace and placed a kiss on her head.

They both laughed when Sam ran up to them, exclaiming, "hug!"

"Group hug," Jesse pulled away from Beca just enough to pick his daughter up. He placed a kiss on Sam's cheek, grinning when she put her arm around his shoulder.

"This is fun but Dada has to cook dinner, _that_ you don't want to help out with," he pecked her temple.

"I'll go keep an eye on dinner," Beca removed herself from his hold. "You did all the _hard labor_ ," she used air quotation.

"Thanks," he thanked her and watch her walk to the kitchenette.

Beca picked up a spoon and started to stir the pasta. Smiling to herself when she heard Jesse playfully chase his daughter around.

* * *

She was emptying the pot of pasta into a strainer when she felt Jesse wrap his arms around her waist from behind.

"I've been thinking of why I couldn't tell you I'm going home," she said as she put the pasta in the pot after getting rid of the water. "I didn't want to hurt you, which is stupid considering that it's all I've been doing to you for the past few months," she looked up. "I honestly didn't expect this reaction from you."

"Bec, a year is a whole lot more than a week," he leaned in and pecked her lips.

"You think you can convince me to stay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Just wait. You'll go all squidy and drape yourself all over me. It'll be fun. You'll see," he kissed her again then removed his arms and added the sauce to the pasta.

"The weather sucks. Everything is ridiculously expensive. I can't drive here- I tried and got into a couple of fights- And don't get me started on noise pollution- Like, I'm surprised anyone can sleep here."

"You really don't like New York," he said in amusement as he pulled plates to use.

"I can barely tolerate it," she took the pot and put it on the counter where he placed the plates.

"If I recall correctly you told me that I'm gonna like living here," he pulled a couple of beers from the fridges.

"Yeah, because you're into artsy film stuff. There's a lot of that here," she took them from him.

"Beca, I used to live in L.A," he laughed. "The biggest film studios nationally are there," he looked where his daughter was playing.

"I know but you can't tell me Broadway isn't cooler than film studios," she shrugged.

"I can't argue with that.- I'm gonna go take Sammy wash her hands. You can start eating."

"I'll wait," she took a seat.

"C'mon, it's dinner time," he started to make his way to his daughter, "which means you gonna have mercy on Bender," he picked her up and ran to the bathroom.

Beca laughed at the squeal Sam made when he picked her up then picked her phone from the counter when she heard it ring. She didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?" she said when she picked.

 _"Yeah, hey is this Beca Mitchell?"_

"Who am I talking to?" she questioned.

 _"It's Matt Woodward."_

"Who?"

 _"We work together."_

"Yeah. Marketing, right?"

 _"Yes."_

"How did you get my personal cell number?"

 _"I have friends at human resources."_

"You could have asked for it instead of going through my personal file," she deadpanned.

 _"Would you have given it to me?"_

"Probably not. I don't really know you, Woodward," she answered bluntly.

 _"I'm calling so that we could get to know each other- tell you what? There's this awesome band I know, they're playing tonight. Wanna go check it out?"_

She chuckled to herself, figuring out why he called.

"Tell this _awesome band_ to send me demos," she said watching Jesse hold his daughter up while making plane noises as he walked out of the bathroom.

 _"I'm not asking you to come 'cause of your position. I'm asking you out so that we could hang, you know."_

"Totally. Well, I'm busy, so maybe some other time."

"You sit here, next to aunt Beca. I'm gonna feed Bender, okay?" Jesse said to his daughter.

"C'mere boy," he called.

"Bender!" Sam exclaimed watching the dog answer to Jesse and come to them.

 _"Sorry for disturbing you,"_ Matt apologized, not sounding apologetic to Beca.

"Yeah. See you at work. Bye," she said before hanging up.

"Dude, you sure, pasta is okay for your kid to eat?" she asked Jesse

"Yeah," he said joining them. "Who was that?" he asked nodding at her phone.

"Some guy from work tryna get me to go see this band with him."

"That was fast," he chuckled.

"Yeah, I still haven't gotten the hang of it and he's trying to get me to sign his pals."

"That's not what I meant," he looked at her knowingly. "You're fresh meat to him."

"You do realize you just referred to me as meat, right?" she said in mock shock.

"To him," he clarified, he lightly punched her shoulder.

"Okay, I should get outta here. First, you objectify me and now you upgraded to domestic abuse," she put her fork down.

He chuckled leaning over to place a kiss on her cheek.

"I'll make it up to you once Sammy goes to bed," he whispered sweetly into her ear.

* * *

"That was quick," Beca said in surprise when Jesse stepped out of his bedroom, pulling the door and keeping it barely open.

"Yeah, out like a light," he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Both Sam and Bender."

"Well, I just finished the dishes," she informed him as she walked to the living area.

"You didn't have to," he said, moving the coffee table.

"I know," she watched him convert to couch into a bed. "Wow," she chuckled.

"I only have one bedroom. A sofa bed is kind of important," he straightened up.

"Totally," she agreed.

"It's comfortable trust me. I sleep on it half of the week."

"Why?"

"Sammy gets the room," he answered in a matter of fact tone.

"She's tiny, why don't you share?" she kicked off her shoes.

"Sandra said Sam should get used to sleeping on her own," he shrugged. She nodded and started to make her way to him.

Reaching him, she placed her hands on his chest.

"You wear a lot of shirts," she started to unbutton it.

"We have a dress code at work. Shirts are the safest clothing option."

"I saw a guy in sweatpants at work today," she informed him.

"You don't have a dress code?" he wondered.

"We do. Not sure if sweatpants are allowed," she helped him take off his shirt. "When was the last time you went to a gym?" she ran her fingers over his chest.

"A while," he walked her to the sofa bed then laid her down. "Am I less attractive to you now?" he asked when she sighed, playing with his hair.

"No," she leaned up and kissed him, "you're the sexiest dad I've ever met. And, I met Ryan Reynolds," she said against his lips.

"Ryan Reynolds?" he pulled away.

"I'll tell you about him later," she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

* * *

 **AN:** Thank you all for reading. I hope this was interesting. Any thoughts on where do you think I'm taking this? Also, feel free to leave suggestions in a review if you got any.


	5. Chapter 5

Whoever said that the director of A&R has the most glamorous job in the music industry had never actually worked as a director of A&R because Beca found herself drowning in paperwork for days.

The former director of A&R had quit deciding to go on a journey to discover himself and left a lot of work behind, work that Beca had to get done.

Beca groaned, throwing her head back when she glanced at the time and saw that it was 6:10 pm and that she had a huge pile to go through.

Sighing, she tapped on her text messaging app and sent out a text to Jesse that read: _**'I don't think I can make it by 8.'**_

 _ **'What's wrong?'** _ his reply came fast.

 ** _'I'm still at work.'_**

' ** _When do you think you'll be done?'_**

 ** _'Maybe in three hours.'_**

 ** _'You alone, right?'_**

 ** _'Yes, why?'_**

 _ **'I'm coming over.'**_

As she read his text he sent another one.

 _ **'Chinese?'**_

 _ **'And cold beer!'**_

 _ **'Beer at work?'**_

 _ **'It's after hours. Shut up.'**_

 _ **'I'll be there in an hour.'**_

* * *

After 45 minutes of work, Beca decided it was time for a break. She wouldn't have had taken a break if it weren't for her sore neck.

Beca got up, stretching and yawning. She rubbed her neck, glancing at the elevator door when she heard it open and smiled, seeing that it was Jesse.

"Okay," she said slowly when she saw Matt step out of the elevator as well. She stepped out of her office and started to make her way to them.

"You're still here?" Matt said in surprise.

"Yeah," she slipped her hands in her pockets.

"Hi," she greeted Jesse.

"Hey," he smiled at her.

"They don't make you wear uniforms anymore?" Matt asked Jesse, thinking he was a delivery guy.

"Matt, this is Jesse my best friend," she nodded at Jesse.

"Sorry, man," Matt chuckled. "I'm Matt, we work together," he gestured at Beca.

"Pleasure meeting you," Jesse casually said.

"You too."

"I still have some work to do," Beca said to Matt nodding at her office. "I'm gonna go back to it," she started to make her way back.

"Your best friend is helping out?" he snorted.

"Mmhmm," she glanced back, glad that Jesse started following her.

"I am starved!" Beca took the plastic bag from Jesse's hand and pulled one of the boxes once they stepped into her office. "Thanks," she leaned up and pecked his lips.

"Yeah, no problem," he watched her walk to her desk and take a seat.

"You read all that?" he exclaimed, pointing at a pile on her desk.

"I read these," she nodded at the pile to her right. "I still have to go through these," she nodded at the smaller pile to her left.

"Jesus." He walked to her desk and handed her a beer can, "it was cold when I bought it."

"It's okay," she shrugged taking it and placing it on the desk.

"What have you been reading?" he took a seat.

"Well, all sort of stuff. It goes from recent changes to the department, resources wise, to contracts.- I'm gonna spend the weekend listening to the stuff the producers working here have made to get their style, you know?. I can't waste any more days on paperwork," she brought the chopsticks to her mouth. "I really thought I'd be done by now. I'm really sorry," she mumbled, chewing.

"Bec, it's cool. Really," he shrugged.

"Hey, Beca." They both looked up at the door, hearing Matt's voice.

"Yeah?" she said, swallowing.

"My friends and I are going to hang out at this new bar that opened, wanna tag along?"

"As you can see I'm kinda busy. And, I got other plans," she watched him nod then decided to tell him her plans because he had been hitting on her the entire week and it didn't bother at first- she was flattered- but the fact that he didn't take any of the hints that screamed I AM NOT INTERESSED was starting to irritate her. "I'm going out on a date," she informed him.

"Date?" he said in surprise.

"Yeah," she nodded amused by his reaction.

"Guy or girl?"

"Guy," Jesse answered him.

"Well, don't tie yourself down so soon," Matt said eyeing Beca eat. "You've been here, what, a week now?" he shrugged.

"Yeah, don't worry about me," she said looking down at the paperwork in front of her, hoping he'd get the hint and leave.

"I'm just saying, you should give yourself a chance-"

"-I know what I'm doing," she cut him off.

"Do I know him- I mean, does he work with us?"

Beca sighed loudly at his question, and as she was about to tell him to mind his own business Jesse answered him, "you're looking at him."

"Best friends going out on a date, that's cute," he chuckled.

"Hey, Matt what are you doing here?" Beca asked, changing the subject when she noticed how Jesse clenched his jaw and sat up.

"I forgot my sunglasses, they're vintage," he shook his sunglasses. "Pretty expensive," he said in sing-song.

"Cool. Well, I have a lot of work to do, so," she smiled tightly at him.

"Yeah, cool. I'll text you the address in case your date didn't go well," he said over his shoulders.

"Motherfucker," Jesse murmured.

"Jesse," Beca called when Jesse got up from his seat, "ignore him," she said when he titled his head.

"Didn't you hear what he just said? He's rude," Jesse said, keeping his voice even.

She shrugged, placing the takeout box on her desk, and got up.

"Matt is harmless," she walked up to Jesse and wrapped her arms around his waist then leaned up kissing him until she felt him relax. "What's in your back bag?" she nodded at his back bag once she pulled away.

"Something I baked for you," he leaned in and pecked her lips.

"What did you bake?"

"Brownies," he informed her.

Noting his grin, she knew there was something he wasn't telling her. "And?" she arched an eyebrow.

"They're pot brownies- don't worry they're not strong."

"Nice," she said, impressed.

"Yeah, you've been working after hours the whole week- your first week- I thought you needed some sort of reward for your efforts to get all the work your predecessor left done in a week," he placed a kiss on her forehead. "But, you're not having any until you're done working," he cupped her butt.

"You want me to go on our first date high?" she asked.

"No, these are for later," he kept grinning at her. "Besides, once you're done you'd probably be too tired to function," he sighed, glancing at the pile of paper waiting for her.

"If you still up for it in a couple of hours, I'm down. I'll have some coffee then I'm good to go."

"Get back to work," he held her shoulders and spun her around before pushing her towards her desk. "We'll see when you're done."

* * *

"Had fun stacking CDs?" Beca asked, remembering that Jesse had started working at a radio station.

"Uh, about that," he started to say, chuckling, "it didn't work out well."

"Why?" she asked, rotating her neck.

"Well, people working there are assholes and the interns made me feel like I'm a fucking dinosaur," he uncomfortably shifted in his seat.

"You're not that old, dude, you're 29!"

"I'm not going back," he shook his head.

"I could help you find something, Jesse-"

"-no, I'll figure something out," he trailed off watching her rub her neck in discomfort.

"Your neck hurts?" he asked.

"Yeah!" she huffed, rotating her neck and forcefully placing a sheet in front of her. "Just 10 pages to go then we're outta here," she said after counting the remaining sheets.

She threw her head back, rubbing her eyes, taking a quick break, and opening one eye when Jesse got up from his seat.

"Do you even take breaks in between hours?" he asked, giving her his hand.

"When I need one, I take one," she took his hand and got up.

"When was the last time you got a neck massage?" he asked, letting go of her hand and getting down on his knees on the floor before he gestured for her to sit on the floor.

"Like six months ago- what are you doing?"

"That's a long time, Bec," he reached for her hand and gently pulled her down.

"I can't stand a stranger's hands on me, you know that," she sat down on the floor.

"Sit cross-legged," he said into her ear.

She got tingly at the huskiness of his voice but knew he wouldn't initiate something sexual while she worked. She sighed then sat Indian style like he asked her to.

"Jesse, it should take me less than an hour to get it over with what's left," she said, feeling him take her locks between his fingers and move them on her shoulder.

"This shouldn't take long," he placed his hands on her neck and started to apply a little pressure on it. Finding tension knots, he focused the pressure on them, smiling at the soft moans Beca let out at the sensations his hands' movement were causing.

"This… uh… so good, Jesse," she shut her eye.

"You're really tensed up, Becs."

"I know," she sighed.

To say the least, Jesse was really good. So good that by the time he was done she was turned on.

"When did you learn to give massages like that?" she asked tilting her head to look at him.

"I'm a natural," he shrugged before he got up.

Beca was fast on her feet as well, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning up to kiss him. He opened his mouth for her instantly, digging his fingers into her waist.

"mmhmm… okay," Jesse said when Beca pressed herself against him then helped her wrap her legs around his waist as soon as she started to grind against him.

"What are we doing?" he asked her breathlessly, pulling away. He knew the answer and her gaze confirmed it.

"Ten more pages," he arched his eyebrows. She rolled her eyes and threw her head back groaning.

"Fine, put me down," she sighed.

"Even if you didn't have to work, we shouldn't," he put her down.

"Why, 'cause we're at my workplace?" she asked, walking back to her desk.

"No, 'cause we're going on our first date tonight," he adjusted his dick, thankful they stopped when they did.

She looked at him questioningly and he smiled at her.

"First date etiquette rule: no hooking up." His words made her chuckle as she picked up a sheet.

"What?" he watched her shake her head. "I don't wanna give the impression that I'm some sex-crazed dude," he shrugged.

"I lost count of the number of times we hooked up," she looked away from the sheet in her hand to hold his gaze.

"I don't do first date sex. I'm old school, baby."

"Fine grandpa," she shrugged.

* * *

"It's 9:13 pm, you sure you don't wanna head back to the hotel and rest. We can always go on a date tomorrow."

"I'm fine," she rotated her neck, gathering her stuff. She wore her messenger bag then turned to look at Jesse.

"No snarky comments," he warned when she opened her mouth to make a remark at the red rose he pulled from his back bag.

"I wasn't gonna," she took it from him.

"C'mon," he gave her his hand and she took it, interlocking their fingers. "This smells nice," she said smelling the rose.

"Glad you like it."

"What d'you wanna do?" she asked as they made their way to the elevator.

"I thought we could go bowling then grab a bite?" he titled his head to look at her.

"Okay," she squeezed his hand.

* * *

"So, Bec, since we already know each other," Jesse looked up from his phone, "I googled questions to ask on a first date for us to answer."

"FUCK YEAH!" she exclaimed when she hit a strike. "Sorry what were you saying?" she turned around.

"I said because we're friends and know each other, I googled questions to ask each other," he picked up a ball.

"You sure that's why, and not cause of your neat track record?" she asked teasingly.

"Sure, make fun of the guy that married the only girlfriend he ever had," he shook his head, throwing the ball and missing. "So there are a lot of question, we gonna pick randomly 5 each, cool?"

"Yeah," she shrugged.

"I'll go first," he looked down at his phone. "I know the answer to this… this too…" he murmured, reading the questions. "Okay, here's a good one: What quality is your automatic "no fucking way" when pursuing a potential relationship?" he asked then turned picked another ball. "Wait don't answer, I know this," he tilted his head.

"What is it?" she arched an eyebrow.

"You hate pretentious people."

"Correct," she said, sounding impressed.

"You told me when we went for lunch to go through your ground rules," he said swinging his hand back and forth before throwing the ball.

Before they roomed up, Beca made a list of rules they had both had to respect in order for them to live together as roommates- they broke some of the rules.

This time, Jesse hit a strike. He looked down at his phone, scanning the questions, "that question doesn't count, I still have 5."

"Okay."

"What's the most spontaneous thing you've ever done?" he asked then picked up a ball.

"Uh… I went on a road trip across the country to attend my friend's wedding in Maine. Amy convinced me that it'd be cool to surprise Cynthia Rose days ahead. I packed a suitcase in less than two hours- forgot a lot of things- and went on a road trip with Amy and Bumper."

"Road trip from where?"

"L.A."

"L.A to Maine. That is a long trip!" he said scoring a spare

"Yeah, I regretted it halfway through."

"How did Amy convince you?"

"Well, she said we'd take her car and I won't have to pay for gas with them and mentioned how I could invest the money I was going to put in the airplane ticket into something else."

"When was this?"

"Back when I first graduate college."

"Okay. How did you meet your best friend?- I know this one too-"

"Dude, ask me questions you want to ask me, I'm pretty sure these you're reading from are for people who don't know each other- we lived together. I know what you like to sing in the shower, for heaven's sake."

"And what's that?"

"Beauty and the beast's soundtrack," she answered, watching him stuff his phone in his pocket.

"Okay… let me think of something as we play."

"I'll ask the questions and you can jump in any time," she watched him pick up another ball.

"Fire away your questions, Bec."

"So you were in a relationship for over a decade right?"

"Yep," he nodded, focusing on the pins.

"Did you ever fantasize about someone other than your ex-wife while you were going at it?" she asked.

"Yes, a couple of times," he answered truthfully.

"Okay," she chuckled, impressed by his honesty. "Next question-"

"You not gonna ask me who?"

"It doesn't matter," she shrugged. "I just wanted to see if you'd answer."

He threw the ball and hit a strike.

"Smooth," she walked to the alley and exhaled eyeing the scores. He was ahead of her, it was her last shot to win the game.

"Thanks," he picked up his beer.

"Ever been outside the states?" she asked, swinging her arm.

"Nope," he chuckled.

"Not even Canada?" she glanced at him.

"Not even Canada," he grinned at her. She looked ahead of her and threw the ball, hitting a strike.

"Which countries have you been to?" he asked her.

"Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, England, and Denmark."

"What were you doing in Denmark?"

"Winning the worlds," she answered throwing another ball and knocking 4 out of the pins.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot I'm talking to _A cappella royalty_ ," he took a bow.

"I'm pretty famous in the A cappella world," she picked up another ball and knocked the remaining pins, scoring a spare.

"A-cappella-nerds-fangirling-over-you famous?" he arched an eyebrow.

"Yep," she answered, focusing on her last frame.

"Nice," he said thoughtfully.

Scoring a perfect strike, Beca threw her fist in the air.

"Congrats," he eyed the scoreboard then watched her walk to him only to bend down and collect her bottle of water from the floor.

"Thank you," she straightened up, bringing the bottle to her mouth.

Jesse eyed her as she drank and couldn't resist not hit the bottle with the back of his hand and causing her to spill water on her shirt.

"Oops, I didn't see you there," he stoically said.

"My shirt is see through, asshat!" she looked down at her clothes.

"It's hot outside, it'll take roughly half an hour for it to dry out," he assured her, bringing his beer to his lips.

"You started it," she shrugged after she hit the bottle with her hand and made him spill beer on himself.

"Let's go eat," he grinned at her cleaning himself.

* * *

"You still like Falafel, right?" he asked as they walked.

"I love Falafel."

"Great," Jesse threw an arm over her shoulder. "I found the greatest Falafel truck in NYC."

"The greatest?"

"I'm talking foodgasmic, Bec. I went on a quest- A Falafel quest- to find the greatest for you, Becaaw," he placed a kiss on her head.

* * *

"So?" Jesse eyed Beca as she chewed.

"This is so good," Beca admitted.

"Told ya!" he couldn't keep himself from grinning.

Hearing her phone chime, Beca pulled it from her pocket. Jesse watched he as she chuckled while shaking her head as she read the text she got.

"Woodward just texted me the address to the bar," she informed Jesse.

"I don't like him."

"I'm pretty sure it's mutual," she took Jesse's arm in hers and started to walk.

"Does he bother you at work?"

"No. Quite the opposite actually. He's really entertaining. No matter how many times I turned him down this week he's still trying which is admirable."

"Well, he should stop trying," he pulled her closer to him.

"Don't worry about him," she looked up and held his gaze until he nodded.

"So I guess I'm dropping you off now, huh?" he asked her.

"I was thinking maybe we could catch a screening-"

"-You wanna watch a movie?" he interrupted her in surprise.

"-After eating some of the brownies you made."

"You wanna get high?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Our date has officially ended, you don't want sex, and I don't feel like going to bed yet."

"Oh I want my Beca fix," he placed a kiss on her cheek. "But, I stand by what I said: No first date hook up," he sighed.

* * *

"No, no, no, don't eat the whole brownie!" Jesse whispered yelled when Beca tossed an entire brownie into her mouth.

"You said they aren't strong," she shrugged.

"If you have a bad trip and start crying, don't resent me for it," he warned, taking a smaller piece than the one she devoured and eyeing it then deciding not to eat. She was going to be higher than fuck and he needed to look out for her.

"I'll be fine," she shrugged.

They found a cinema that was screening a documentary about Antarctica. And, half an hour into the documentary, Beca started to giggle uncontrollably, reaching to grab a handful of popcorn and stuffing it in her mouth.

"You okay?" he asked. Thinking that you're dying is the most common reaction anyone gets when they're high on edible. She was giggling which was a weird reaction.

"I'm fine. Now shut the fuck up I wanna watch this," she threw popcorn at him.

Jesse sighed a sigh of relief shifting his attention to the movie, occasionally glancing at her, and couldn't help but smile each time he looked at her. She was fascinated by everything in the documentary.

* * *

"I don't wanna go to bed yet," she said once they got out of the theater.

"What do you have in mind?" he asked.

"Let's go see Matt and his friends."

"You wanna go see that jerk you work with?"

"Yeah, I think _we_ should go."

"You sure?"

"100% sure."

"Okay," he shrugged. She didn't get paranoid like he feared she would after eating an entire pot brownie. She was relaxed. It was nice seeing her carefree and happy for a change and not trying hard not to let anyone see the anxiety and stress she was dealing with.

* * *

"Woodward," Beca called, seeing him sitting by a table. She was holding Jesse's hand tightly while waving at her co-worker with her other hand. He smirked seeing her but his smirk dropped when he saw Jesse.

Matt gestured for them to join him and his friends. "Hey," she greeted. "We work together I think," she said, eyeing the people sitting by the table.

"Yes," Matt spoke. "But we're all in marketing," he informed her.

"Matt you met Jesse," she looked up at Jesse.

"Yeah, the best friend," he nodded.

"People I work with but don't know yet, this is Jesse," she pointed at Jesse.

"I hope it's okay that we joined you," Jesse looked between them. No one seemed bothered expect for Matt.

"Your date went well?" Matt asked, watching them take a seat.

"What do you think?" Beca asked.

"Bec, I'm gonna go get you a drink. Beer?" Jesse asked.

"Yeah, beer will do," she grinned at him.

"Okay," he smiled at her then got up. He asked if anyone else wanted a refill then made his way to the bar.

"Two pints of your best," Jesse asked the bartender.

"Just a second," the bartender replied.

"You just pull it down," he told her noting that she didn't seem to know how to do it.

"Yeah, I know," she looked up. "It's just that the last time I used this it got messy."

"May I?"

She looked around then back at him, "Yeah." Jesse walked around and got behind the bar.

"You just gotta put the glass at 45 degrees and pour the beer," he started to pour beer. "And, when you gonna stop you straighten the glass up slowly."

He looked at her and found her eyeing the beer.

"How did you manage to not let the head become huge?" she asked noting that the foam was light.

"That takes practice," he stepped aside. "Try it," he handed her a glass and brought pint he filled to his lips.

"Okay," she exhaled.

"That looks all right," he shrugged taking the pint that she managed to fill. "Try to work on the foam thing." If he were her boss he'd fire her for the amount of foam in the pint.

"I will," she watched him walk around the bar and place the pints on the bar then pulled his wallet and paid her.

"Leave the change."

"Hey, are interested in a bartending job?" she asked him.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you want to bartend here? I don't really do this well, on my own- the other bartender got fired on his first day and I'm super new at this."

"They're looking for a bartender at this bar?"

"Yeah. Here's the ad," she handed him the ad. "They pay really well."

"I'll think about it. Thanks," he trailed off realizing he didn't know her name.

"Mae."

"Thanks, Mae. I'm Jesse," he smiled at her, picking up the pints then turned on his heels.

"Here you go," he placed the pint in front of Beca.

"Thank you."

"So, what do you do for a living?" Matt asked him.

"I'm an art teacher and a freelance composer," Jesse answered.

"And how did you guys meet? Are you like childhood friends?"

"You're a little curious, aren't you?" Beca looked at him after swallowing.

"Just tryna get to know you two better," Matt shrugged. "I don't know a lot of best friends who date."

"Now you do," Jesse chuckled eyeing Beca. "Bec, you got a mustache," he reached for a tissue and handed it to her.

"It's really cute that you decided to date. Who was the first to admit that they wanted more than a friendship?" one of the girls at the table asked as she eyed both Jesse and Beca.

Beca tilted her head to look at Jesse who shrugged.

"It's kind of a long story," Beca finally said.

"Do tell, please" Matt sighed.

"Well, we were roommates for…" she glanced at Jesse.

"Four months."

"Yeah, four months. Stuff happened. Jesse moved here. I had no intention of following him," she placed a hand on her mouth, burping.

"Then you got a promotion and move here," Matt finished for her.

"Yep," she nodded.

"You got your happy ending," another girl said.

Jesse nodded, sighing. They got a _very_ happy ending- that if he didn't consider the fact that Beca was headed back to L.A and he was going to be still living in NYC.- he was positive that he can make her stay but he had to prepare himself.

* * *

"Jesse, can I sleep with you tonight?" Beca asked as they walked down the stairs that led to a subway station.

"Beca," he sighed.

"No, not fuck you actually sleep with you," she shook her head.

"You wanna spend the night over?" She nodded at his question, "I really wanna cuddle."

"Okay," he chuckled.

She spent the entire trip humming songs and occasionally getting to giggling fits. He really liked seeing her stoned.

* * *

"So, tonight had been fun," Jesse said as he pulled his keys from his pocket.

"It was."

"Even hanging out with your co-workers was fun," he stepped back and let her go in first.

"Yeah, making out while Matt watched was fun," she punched his shoulder.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he shrugged.

"You want me to believe that you kissing me when Matt stepped out of the bar was purely coincidental?" she snorted. "Dude, I'm high, I'm not unconscious."

He was trying to keep his expression neutral. She was right it wasn't a coincidence. Jesse wanted him to see them.

"Hey do you think anyone at the table noticed how stoned I am?" she asked as they walked up the stairs.

"No," he shrugged, playing with his keys when they reached his level. "You look and act weirdly normal. I mean when I don't count the occasional giggles."

Stepping inside his apartment, Jesse kicked off his converse and took off his t-shirt. "You hungry or do you want to go to bed?" he asked.

"Let's go to bed," she started to make her way to his bedroom. he gave her a t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts to change and went to brush his teeth.

"I don't have a spare," he said when she joined him in the bathroom and started to look for a toothbrush. "Wanna use mine?"

"Yeah," she shrugged taking it from him. He placed a kiss on her forehead then started to make his way to his bed.

Beca didn't take long before joining him on the bed. "Have you started looking for an apartment?" he asked, enveloping her in his arms.

"I didn't get the time," she sighed loudly. "This is nice," she rested her head on his chest.

"We should cuddle more often."

"We should," she agreed, "after sex," she patted his face.

"Night, weirdo," he chuckled placing a kiss on her forehead when she looked up.

"Night," she pecked his lips then rested her head on his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too," he squeezed her in his arms.

* * *

 **AN:** _Disclaimer: I do not endorse drug use or any sort of substance that can hurt any living being._


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** Hello people of the internet. I'm uploading this on 05/13/2016 AND IT IS FRIDAY THE 13TH. Also, you should probably be studying for exams unless you're taking a break. Anyway, thanks for passing by. It'd be cool if you leave a review.

Until next time. Peace out.

* * *

It had been a while since Beca had woken up on her own. And it felt amazing. She knew it had something to do with the pot brownie she ate the night before because she was going through what some called 'Weed Hangover', which is basically feeling relaxed and lazy and wanting to go back to sleep even though you've slept for more than enough hours while others would just say you're still high.

In her fetal position, she glanced up at the nightstand, yawning when she saw that it was 11:41 am. She closed her eyes, deciding she could sleep until noon. She had no idea where Jesse was. And right then she couldn't care less because going back to sleep and finishing her weird dream—that involved penguins and polar bears—was all she cared about.

She was slowly drifting back to sleep when she heard a distant voice calling her name.

"Beca... Bec, get up," Jesse said.

She pulled the covers over her head, ignoring him.

"Beca," he clapped his hands.

Nothing.

"Bec. Becaaaw. Rebeca."

She frowned when he sat on the bed.

"Babe, you've been out for like 10 hours. Get up," he shook her gently.

"No," she replied in a barely audible voice.

"Oh, you're getting up," he disagreed, pulling the covers and chuckling when she groaned. "Hi," he grinned at her when looked at him sleepily.

"If you still want to have a pair of testicles I recommend you leave me alone," she pulled the covers, wrapping herself in them until she looked like a human burrito. "because I will not hesitate to rip them off," she yawned.

"I'm willing to risk that," he said in amusement as he grabbed the covers and pulled them away. "You have to get up and function."

"Fine," she sat up and forcefully kicked the covers, "I'll go my hotel room and sleep there," she murmured as she sleepily took off his t-shirt and reached for her shirt.

"What did you just say?" Jesse frowned not getting any of what she was saying.

He shrugged when she didn't answer and watched her as she struggled to stay put while slipping her jeans on.

"Bec?" he called.

"What?" she looked at him.

"Your shirt is inside out," he pointed out. "And, you forgot to wear your bra," he got up and picked up then handed it to her.

Jesse stepped back and eyed her. To him, she looked adorable as she cursed under her breath while taking off her shirt and reaching for her bra.

"Want some help?" he asked and didn't wait for an answer. He hooked her bra then rested his hands on her waist before he placed a kiss on her cheek. Sighing, he reached for her fly and zipped it before buttoning her pants.

"Go brush your teeth: I made breakfast," he placed another kiss on her cheek.

"I don't wanna have breakfast, I wanna sleep."

"Bec, you're still high," he spun her around to face him, "you need to sober up."

"Why? It's the fucking weekend, Jesse," she rested her head against his chest.

"You told me you're planning on listening to the producers' work in your department," he reminded her.

"Yeah, that," she nodded then sighed, pulling away and heading to the bathroom to wash up and brush her teeth.

"Bec, I got you a toothbrush," he informed her.

"Found it," she answered picking the new toothbrush up.

* * *

After breakfast at noon, Beca started to sober up.

"You feeling better?" Jesse asked as he washed the mug she drank coffee in.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm sorry for sleeping in."

"Don't be ridiculous Becs," he glanced at her and watched her as she finally decided to button up her shirt.—it was distracting him. "It's fine, and you _did_ eat an entire pot brownie."

"You might have plans for the day," she shrugged.

"I do, but not anytime soon," he made his way to her. "I got a job interview for bartending," he informed her.

"Bartending?"

"Yep. Last night, when we joined your co-workers at that new bar the bartender there told me about the job vacancy," he pulled the flyer ad.

"You know how to bartend?" she asked, reading the flyer.

"Yeah. I worked as a bartender for a while in my early 20s."

"You know how to make freaking cocktails and all?" she arched an eyebrow, looking up. He nodded.

"It's been a while, though."

"Why didn't you tell me about your bartending days?"

"It never came up," he shrugged.

"Nice. Does this mean I'm gonna get free drinks when I'm there and it's your shift?" she asked and watched him try to see if she was joking: she kept a neutral expression.

"Uh... I don't think that—"

"I'm kidding, relax," she leaned up and pecked his lips. "I should get going," she tucked her shirt in her pants.

"Already?"

"Yeah," she looked up. "I have a lot of songs to listen to. And, I'm currently in a good enough mood to listen to hours of songs and work."

"I can help out with that, you know," he said as he played with the hem of her shirt.

"With work? Nah, I got it. I need to listen to them myself. I mean the whole point of this is to understand the producers style so that I'd know who to pick to work on songs," she placed a hand on his chest. "Thanks for offering, though," she patted his chest and watched him lean in.

"That wasn't what I meant," he said into her ear.

"Oh, yeah?"

He rested his hands on her waist then sighed. "Yeah, but you wanna leave so I won't keep you," he said and placed a kiss on the sweet spot on her neck then pulled away.

"I could use a mood booster," she wrapped her arms around his neck then leaned up, pulling him into a passionate kiss.

Jesse walked backward then helped her wrap her legs around his waist. Beca pulled away breathlessly and titled her head to look at Bender who was barking at them.

"How much d'you wanna bet that if you go play with him and ignore me he'll stop barking?" she asked.

"I think should do something about his jealousy from you," Jesse said, putting her down. "C'mere boy," he called his dog.

"You think?" she scoffed watching Bender happily make his way to Jesse. "Let me know when you're done calming your big baby," she said over her shoulders as she made her way to his bedroom.

"Listen up Bender, daddy's gotta go. Don't be a little bitch and tear our ears off. I can't have neighbors complaining," Jesse said in a funny voice while he patted his head before he placed a kiss on it. "Good boy," he straightened up when Bender calmed down.

Jesse made his way to his bedroom and found Beca unbuttoning her shirt.

"Please, let me do the honor of taking your clothes off," he said closing the door.

"That was fast," she arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he quickly took off his t-shirt then kicked off his converse. "C'mere," he paced to her and held her up then laid her down on the bed before crushing his lips against hers.

"God, I've missed you," he mumbled between kisses.

"I spent the night with you, dork," she chuckled.

"Not like this," he unzipped her pants and helped her take them off.

" _You_ are the one who didn't want to have sex last night," she reminded him.

"I had to see if I could resist you," he pulled away. "Plus, rules are rules, baby."

"Weirdo," she chuckled and pulled him down to her.

* * *

"When is your job interview?" she asked as drew lazy trails on his bare chest.

"4 pm," he informed her.

"And why aren't you preparing for it?" she wondered after glancing at the time and seeing that it was 1:54 pm.

"Bec, it's an interview for a bartending job, there's no actual preparation," he placed a kiss on her hair.

"Shouldn't you, like, practice on perfecting your mad bartending skills?" she questioned, her words dripping with sarcasm.

"I'll improvise," he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"Like make them cocktails?" she looked up.

"If they asked then yeah," he nodded then grinned eyeing her.

"What?" she asked noting his grin.

"Gosh, you're cute," he leaned in and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose.

"Take back what you just said, Swanson."

"No. You're extremely cute. And, you need to acknowledge that you are," he tapped her nose.

"You're delusional," she shrugged and laid back, resting her head on his chest while running her finger over his chest.

"You have the cutest grin ever—a grin that you rarely let anyone see. I've never seen any woman look cuter than you in a sundress—also something you rarely let others see... What's up with that?"

"I'm not cute," she said ignoring his question then pressed herself against his chest before she crossed her arms.

"See, this scowl right here," he gestured at her face, "is cute," he grinned widely when she rolled her eyes.

"You got a cuteness overload thing going on, Becs," he wrapped her in his arms then leaned in and kissed her, moaning when she licked his button lip and climbed on top of him.

"I'm gonna show you how cute I am, not," she pulled away to catch her breath.

"You can't—" he didn't get to finish his sentence: she pressed her lips against his, cutting him off.

* * *

Beca was in her hotel room, had been for a long time. She was starting to get a grip on how the record producers in her department worked, their musical styles, their strengths, and weaknesses . She had listened to more than 4 hours of songs and was eyeing the notes she took while listening when she heard her phone ring, she picked up instantly when she saw who was calling her.

"Hey, nerd."

"Hi."

"How did your job interview go?" she asked and heard him exhale loudly.

"I got the job."

"Well, hide your joy," she joked noting the grimness in his voice.

"Bec, I need you. Can I come over?"

"Yeah, sure," she frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'll tell you when I get there."

"Okay—" she couldn't finish her sentence when he hung up on her.

She went back to her notes and worked until he arrived. After letting him come up, she collected the notes that were all over her bed and placed them along with her laptop on the nightstand.

Unlocking the door, she found a very anxious Jesse waiting.

"Hey," he stepped into the room.

"Hey yourself," she closed the door. "What's up, Jesse?" she watched him take a seat on the bed.

"Sandra is pregnant," he informed her as he fixated his gaze on the floor. She took a seat next to him and waited for elaboration.

"She said it's mine," he looked up from the floor and tilted his head to look at her.

"Wha—" she had to take a moment to process what he had told her. Clearing her throat, she asked, "when did this happen?"

"According to her, it happened, like, a month before you moved here," he sighed, shifting his attention to his shoes. "And, I have no actual memory of it."

"Then how do you know she's telling the truth?"

"She wouldn't lie to me," he shook his head. "I know her."

Beca placed a hand on his back, rubbing it. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to know how it happened but also didn't want to ask.

"The thing is, I remember her coming over to pick Sammy up but I thought _it_ was a dream," he paused to bury his face in his hands.

"Hold on a second, _a dream_?"

"Yeah," he nodded, looking up. "Sometimes, I dream about you... Sandra did mention the fact that I kept calling your name," he shrugged. "I don't remember the actual dream but I think in that dream/ hallucination I thought it was you who was at the door. I was pretty drunk," he cleared his throat.

"It's okay," she wrapped her arm around his shoulder and pulled him to her.

"Sandra didn't bring it up because she thought I was pretending it didn't happen. If she had spent the night over I would have figured it out but she didn't," he said into her neck.

"Why did you get hammered enough to not see the line between dreams and reality?" she asked.

"I was moping around, Beca."

She didn't need to hear further elaboration because she knew what he was talking about. Sometimes when the pain of missing him was a lot to handle she would get drunk, watch movies, occasionally call him, and cry herself to sleep.

"Is she going to keep it?" Beca asked.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Am I a bad person for wanting her to not to?" he looked up.

"No," she wiped the tears he was blinking back. "You're not a bad person," she tightened her hold and placed a kiss on his head.

"I love Sammy but being a parent is hard. I'm really trying to be as good as I can but I don't know if I can take care of two kids as a divorced parent."

"Jesse you're a kickass dad," she cupped his face. "You're fucking great at parenting. Sam is fine. Trust me I know a fucked up kid when I see one; I was one. And, if Sandra keeps your baby you are going to be a wonderful dad to it. Do not ever doubt that, okay?" she leaned in and pecked his lips when he nodded.

Pulling away, Beca climbed on the bed and Jesse kicked his shoes and followed her.

"Thanks for not freaking out," he rested his head on her chest and throw an arm around her waist.

"Why would I freak out?" she started to stroke his hair.

"Because I knocked up my ex-wife?"

"I would have freaked out if it happened while we're _dating,_ " she shrugged.

"Are we _now_ dating?" he looked up.

"Jesse Swanson, would you like to be my boyfriend?" she asked after a beat.

"God, yes," he sat up and hugged her.

"How's Sandra taking all this?" Beca asked when he rested his head in the crook of her neck.

"She has no idea what she wants to do."

"You didn't tell her that you want her to have an abortion, did you?"

"Of course not," he said into her hair. "It's her choice, I'm gonna roll with whatever she decides," he sighed.

"Well, I'm here, Jesse," she rubbed his arm.

"Thanks," he placed a kiss on her neck.

"You got the job, huh?" she said changing the subject.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I told them that I'm a teacher and that I won't be able to work once the school year starts. The owner said that if I were good enough we could strike a deal and I keep on working there part-time."

"That's great."

"Yeah. I start tomorrow," he informed her.

"When's your day off?"

"Days actually," he sniffed. "I'm taking Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays off."

"The days you have Sam." He nodded at her words and laid down using her stomach as a pillow.

"I'll be working on weekends," he closed his eyes, feeling her gently scratch the back of his neck.

"Guess I'm gonna be spending the weekends there," she said.

"That'd be nice," he mumbled. She leaned forward and saw that he was dozing off and it was only 8:20 pm. She didn't know when he woke up but she was sure it was early. Adding the exhaustion their activities left him with and the big news' emotional impact on him, it made sense to her that he'd be tired.

"Jesse," she shook him gently.

"Sorry," he sat up, apologizing for falling asleep.

"You shouldn't sleep in jeans," she pointed out, reaching to turn the lights off.

He nodded and got up, quickly unbuckling his belt before kicking off his jeans and taking off his t-shirt.

"Good night," Beca placed a kiss on his cheek when laid back next to her.

"G'night," he pulled her to him, resting his cheek on her head as he drifted into a deep slumber.


	7. Chapter 7

**Two weeks later.**

"This is the last box," Beca said, handing Jesse the last moving box when she entered her new one-bedroom apartment. She closed the door and took a look around. "This is gonna take a lot of time," she placed a hand on her hip, eyeing the moving boxes that were everywhere in her small apartment.

"So, why don't you get cracking already?" he asked as he opened the box to find tableware in it.

"I'm taking a break," she got down on the floor and sat Indian style, throwing her head back to check Jesse's ass out when he bent down to pick up the box with the intention of taking it to her kitchenette.

"You'll rest when we're done. Stop ogling and get to work," he threw an empty box at her. She narrowed her eyes at him after successfully dodging the box.

"Look, even your daughter is tired," Beca nodded at Sam who sat down next to her, trying to imitate how Beca was sitting.

"She's a 1 year and a half old toddler, you're a 28-year-old grown woman. Get up, _woman,_ " he kicked an empty box her way which she didn't dodge.

"Ow," she exclaimed, exaggerating the pain as she rubbed her arm. "Dude, you can't just hit me with boxes!"

"You'll live," he replied, walking past her, patting her cheek. "Get back to work," he said over his shoulders as he made his way to the kitchenette.

She threw her head back and rotated her neck and sat up when Sam got up and rubbed her arm.

"Owie," Sam frowned when Beca looked at her questioningly.

"I was joking. It doesn't hurt," Beca smiled at her.

"No owie?"

"No owie," Beca grinned watching Sam grin.

"Beca I can see you still sitting," Jesse said in sing-song from the kitchenette.

Beca sighed getting up. She unlocked her phone and read the text, which was from Jesse, that read: _**'Sammy's bedtime is 8:30. Get to work so that we can finish quickly and I'll make sure you go to bed by then too. ;)'**_

She chuckled before replying: ** _'Even if we do finish unpacking soon, how are we gonna have sex with your AWAKE daughter in the apartment, smartass?'_**

 ** _'Even heard of The cartoon network?'_**

She stuffed her phone in her pocket then looked at Sam. "Sammy can you help me put these over there?" Beca grabbed a couple of Vinyls from a box and walked to a bookshelf then put them on the lowest shelf.

"Yes," Sam furiously nodded and grabbed some Vinyls.

"Thank you," Beca thanked her, stroking her cheek before she made her way to the kitchenette.

"We won't _ever_ have sex while your daughter watches cartoons," she said in a low voice as she rested her elbows on the counter in the kitchenette.

"Well, we haven't had time for each other in exactly 4 days," he turned around. "And, I want to keep _my cute girlfriend_ satisfied and happy," he grinned at her when she rolled her eyes at the word cute.

"Yeah, no sex while your daughter is up. It's weird, dude," she shrugged.

"Well, tomorrow you have a work dinner and I'm working at the bar," he ran his fingers through his hair, stopping to clench it when he turned thoughtful.

"Next day you're working and the night after it as well," she said.

"Shit, we won't have each other until Sunday. SUNDAY. That's three days from now and a week from the last time we had each other!"

"You can spend the night over," she suggested. "I don't mind Sam sleeping over. We'll take the couch—my couch is comfortable enough—we did have sex on it before," she straightened up. "Run it by Sandra, though, since she doesn't really like me," she drummed her fingers lightly on the counter. "She might not be cool with it."

He nodded in agreement and picked up his phone and tapped on his messaging up.

"I've just texted her," he looked up.

"Tell me when she gets back at you," Beca said over her shoulders as she went back to the living area.

"This is great, Sam," Beca walked over to the shelf where Sam was placing Vinyls like she had shown her. "Great job, kiddo" she picked up some herself and started to place them as well.

"Bec, we're spending the night on your couch," Jesse said from the kitchen after almost five minutes of working in silence.

"Cool," she replied.

* * *

"Hey, Bec," Jesse said walking into her bedroom.

"Yeah?" she answered over her shoulders, folding her clothes and placing them in her closet.

"Sammy dozed off," he informed her.

"It's 8:30 already?" she wondered in surprise.

"No, she's just tired. She dozed off on the couch while I was washing the plates we ate in."

"Well, bring her here. I can finish this tomorrow," she gestured at her clothes.

He smiled at her and stepped out of the bedroom, walking back less than a minute later with his daughter in his arms.

"When did you change Sam into her pajamas?"

"Right after dinner," he answered.

Jesse had gone to his apartment to feed Bender and pick up Sam's pajamas and got them dinner on his way back to Beca's apartment.

Beca turned off the lights and watched Jesse kiss his daughter's cheek as he tug her in before walking away.

"You're cool with me and Sam spending the night over, right?" Jesse asked as he pulled the door behind him.

"Dude, I suggested you sleep over," she reminded him, smiling when she felt his arms envelop her from behind.

"Thanks for helping out today,"she thanked him. "It would probably take me like a week if I were doing it by myself."

"I know," he kissed her cheek. "You have a tendency to half-ass everything you do when you don't want to do it," he pecked her cheek again. "I knew you'd need me to nag you until you get it done."

"You like that I need your help, don't you?"

"Uh huh."

"Well, thanks."

He made a sound of acknowledgment, burying his face in her neck, placing light kisses before finding her lips. He loosened his grip and she turned around and cupped his face while walking backward into the living area.

"How light is Sammy's sleep?" Beca asked pulling away to take off her t-shirt when he kept tugging it up.

"She won't hear us. Don't worry," he took off his t-shirt and tossed it on an empty box.

"Good," she pulled him to her and frowned when he stopped her from kissing him.

"With this pace we'll be done sooner than I intend," he took her hands and placed a kiss on each one of her hands.

"I can't stay up late, Jesse."

Jesse sighed and glanced at his watch. "It's quarter to 8 now. You cool going to bed around 11?"

"10," she grimaced.

"10:30?"

"Fine," she sighed, letting Jesse guide her to the couch.

* * *

"Whatever energy drink you're on, I want it," Beca breathlessly said, collapsing on top of Jesse.

"No need for any kind of energy drink when I got Love, yearning, longing, passion, desire-"

"-I get it, you can shut up," she interrupted after getting some oxygen in her lungs.

"I'm gonna get a glass of water," she got up after they got in a comfortable silence while they recovered from their orgasms.

"Want anything?" she grabbed his t-shirt and wore it, in case they woke Sam up.

"Your fridge is empty," he reminded her.

"Yeah, right," she shook her head and made her way to the kitchenette.

"What are you watching?" she asked, making her way back to the living area.

"I'm just looking around," he shrugged, making space for her when she climbed next to him.

He placed a kiss on her cheek. She moaned when he moved to her neck and began to nibble it, taking off his t-shirt when he tugged it up and throwing it over the couch. He cupped her cheek when she tilted her head and pulled her into a kiss that she ended when she pulled away to yawn.

"Sorry," she apologized, rubbing her eyes, before reaching for the coffee table and grabbing her phone to check the time.

"It's not even 10 yet," she yawned again.

"You should get some sleep," he shifted in a way he was spooning her as they laid on the couch. He placed a kiss on her cheek pulling the duvet to them. She hummed in agreement and snuggled up to him.

"Shouldn't we get dressed in case Sam gets up before we do?" she asked sleepily.

"Nah," he replied, resting his cheek on her head.

"Hey, Jesse," Beca spoke softly.

"Yes," he answered, tearing his eyes away from the TV.

She turned to face him then asked, "we haven't talked about Sandra and your baby yet, wanna talk now?"

"No," he ran his fingers through her hair, "not now," he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Jesse, she's keeping it. We need to talk because, if I remember correctly, you don't want her to keep it."

"Well, you're tired. We'll talk later," he leaned in and pecked her lips.

"I won't see you until Sunday," she sat up, holding the duvet close to her, "we're talking now," she yawned.

He sighed and sat up, rubbing his eyes before he threw his arm over the couch. "I don't want it," he shrugged. "I'm not gonna lie. I could do without another kid, for now. At least with Sam we were still together when she was conceived but this time around I was too drunk to put a fucking condom on," he ran a hand over his face. "But, what is done is done. He or she is mine and I will be there for my kid."

"Jesse, you shouldn't place all the blame on yourself," Beca said when he went quiet. "It was the two of you. She was sober. She should have known better than to hook up with her ex, not any ex, her ex-husband who she has a kid with. I mean, the only thing that could come outta sleeping with an ex is awkwardness. Believe me, I've been burned..." she trailed off and bit her lip when he looked up and held her gaze.

"Cris is married," he said, recalling an ex-boyfriend of hers."I don't know any other ex of us except for Luke," he narrowed his eyes. "You slept with Luke, didn't you?" he asked.

"Yes," she admitted to having hooked up with Luke who she had dated for a month before realizing she had developed romantic feelings for Jesse. "A bunch of times," she added when he kept looking at her.

"A bunch? How many times is that?"

"Why are we talking about this? We're talking about you and how you're feeling."

"No, I wanna know about Luke."

"I was drunk half of the time," she shrugged. "Can we not talk about this?"

"Beca, I'm friends with Luke. We kept in touch. I wanna know how many times my friend had screwed my girlfriend."

"You kept in touch?" she arched an eyebrow. "He never said anything about you."

"Just give me a figure," he shut his eyes.

She grimaced knowing that he'd go bananas if he knew that she ended up in Luke's bed more often that she should have.

"Like 5 times," she lied. "He stopped letting me use him when he started seeing someone exclusively like three to four months ago," she informed him truthfully.

He sucked in a breath then nodded. "I can live knowing that you sexually used my nemesis _a bunch of times_."

"Can we go back to the reason I'm not sleeping?"

"Beca, she's keeping it. Do I want it? Not really. Will I love it to death and be as great of a parent to it as I can be? Yes. 100 times yes."

Beca eyed him for a while then laid down, giving him her back. "I'm gonna get hell from mom for dating you," she sighed, letting him envelop her from behind.

"Why?" he frowned.

"You're a divorced parent of a year and a half old kid and are expecting another one with the same woman who is your ex-wife," she yawned.

"Well... you could do worse," he shrugged, looking at the TV screen.

"I think you're great. I don't care about what mom or anyone else thinks of you."

"I take that your mother doesn't know you're seeing someone?"

"I'm telling her next week since she's visiting. Your parents know about us?"

"Yeah. Mom was like 'I knew something was going on with your roommate'—Am I meeting your mom next week?"

"If you want to," she shrugged. "Hey, you didn't tell your mother about our accidental hookups from back when he we were roommates, did you?" she sleepily asked.

"Yes, I wanna meet your mother. And no, I didn't tell her."

"Good, 'cause I wanna still be able to look her in the eyes..." she trailed off. Jesse pulled away just enough so that he could see her face then smiled seeing that she had fallen asleep.

* * *

Beca frowned waking up to the taste of someone else's saliva. She blinked a couple of times before realizing that Jesse was literally drooling over her. She could feel his morning wood against her back. She reached for her phone to check the time and internally cried when she saw that it was 5:45 am, 15 minutes before she had set her alarm. She slowly removed herself from Jesse's hold, grimacing when she wiped his drool from her face. She stretched her arms yawning then looked down at Jesse, envying him for the fact that he doesn't start work until 1 pm. Beca wore her clothes back in case Sam wakes up then made her way to her bedroom. She picked her clothes for the day then headed to the en-suite bathroom to shower.

"Morning, Jesse," she said when she saw Jesse get into the bathroom and close the door behind him.

"Good morning—I need to pee," he answered in a low voice, matching hers.

Flushing the toilet, he turned to the sink and grabbed her toothpaste and squeezed a small amount of paste on his index, using it instead of a toothbrush. He just wanted to get rid of his morning breath before joining Beca under the shower. He breathed heavily, drawing the shower curtains.

"What are you doing?" she asked, watching him take off his boxers and get under the shower.

"I'm gonna shower with you. And fool around with you if you'd like to," he answered. She stepped back and narrowed her eyes at him.

"What? You said you wouldn't have sex if she's up. Sam is still asleep. I checked." Jesse said.

"Yeah, a few feet away."

"Fine. No fooling around."

Watching her sigh, he grinned. "What d'you say I give you a neck massage?" he asked, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Ha. To turn me on? Nice try, smartass," she shook her head, reaching for her shampoo bottle, grinning to herself when she heard him groan. "On a serious note, though, I can't take long in the shower. I'll be late for work," she squeezed some shampoo into her palm before rubbing her hands together and applying it on her hair. Jesse rested his hands on hers and smiled, nodding for her to let him lather up the shampoo on her hair. She squeezed some shampoo into her palm and tiptoed to wash his hair for him.

"When are you getting a haircut?" Beca asked, watching Jesse's hair fall on his eyes when he stood under the shower to rinse it.

"It's getting too long, huh?" he ran his fingers through his hair to get out of his eyes.

"Yes. I got used to you with a short hair."

"I'll drop by a barber and shave."

"Don't shave this, though," she scratched his stubble. "You look hotter with stubble," she playfully slapped him.

"Okay," Jesse grinned, stepping back and letting her get under the shower.

Beca closed her her eyes and let him rinse her hair for her.

* * *

 **AN:** Thank you all for reading. Suggestions are welcomed very much, unless they might affect the outline of the story. Also, I figured out how I want to end this because starting this story I just had some ideas and didn't know where they would lead me.


	8. Chapter 8

It was 5:00 pm, Beca was gathering her belongings along with some work that she decided to finish at home. It was Friday and it was the first Friday since she had moved to New York City where she didn't to worry about work: everything was starting to fall into place. And, it was about _damn time_. She had spent an entire month, working extra hard to get shit that the former A &R director had left for her to do. She thought she did a great job considering she was new at the whole thing, but to everyone else she was just doing the job that she was paid to do.

Beca grabbed a folder, that she was going to go through over a bottle of wine and some cheese while listening to music from her playlist for a change, put it in her messenger bag, wore it then headed out, turning the light switch off on her way out.

"Hey, Beca, wait." Beca momentarily shut her eyes and stopped walking. "What's up, Matt?" she asked when he caught up with her.

"Nothing much," he shrugged and walked with her to the elevator. "I just wanted to ask about your plans for the fourth of July," he glanced at her, pushing the ground floor button.

"I don't have any," she replied.

"WHAT?" he exclaimed. "But, it's the fourth of July!"

"Dude, it's a reason for people to get together and have fun and give criminals the opportunity to commit murders with firearms thanks to the obnoxious overuse of fireworks."

"Where the hell is your patriotism, Ms. Mitchell?"

"Oh, it's there. But I don't think I need to celebrate independence day the way most people do to prove how much I love our country."

"It's tradition."

"Yeah, well, it was a tradition to burn children alive in a religious ritual for the gods Baal Hammon and Tanit," she stepped out of the elevator when they reached the ground floor.

"Wha-" he shook his head, "you just lost me there for a second. What does burning children for Bal Hamm and Tan- or whoever the fuck they are- have anything to do with independence day?" he followed her.

"Baal Hammon and Tanit, they're Gods from the Carthaginian mythology," she informed him.

"You still haven't explained their relation to independence day celebration."

"I'm just saying that traditions aren't always good, that's all," she shrugged.

"And you used a mythology I've never heard of to prove a point?"

She shrugged, he didn't have to know that she saw a documentary a while back about the Carthaginian mythology while high on pot brownies.

"I didn't have you pegged as a history nerd," he chuckled.

"I'm not. I just happen to be smarter than you think I am," she said in amusement.

"That's totally not true. I think you're very smart. I mean you got promoted from a record producer to a director of A&R! Only a smart person, with little experience as yourself, would accomplish that... unless you did some voodoo."

"Yeah. You got me," she deadpanned, strangely amused by their banter. Matt wasn't so bad when he wasn't hitting on her. "I did crazy Carthaginian magic."

"Did it involve burning babies?"

"No. Just a gallon of a 25-year-old Caucasian man's blood," she stopped walking when they reached the end of the block. "And, I'm planning on doing a spell soon," she winked at him. "You're 25, right?" she asked, pulling her ringing phone.

"Yep," he chuckled. "Well, if you change your mind about 4th of July, I'm throwing a party at my parents' beach house in the Hamptons: you can bring a plus one. _Yes,_ you can bring your boyfriend if he wants to come."

"Thanks, Matt. I'll keep your invitation in mind," she smiled at him before looking down at her phone.

"Well, see you on Monday, Beca. Have a great weekend," Matt said before walking away.

"Yeah, you too," she replied before picking up the phone. "Hey, mom."

 _"Beca honey, how are you?"_

"I'm fine. I just got off of work," Beca crossed the street, making her way to the closest subway station. "You?"

 _"Well, according to the Uber driver, we're 20 minutes away from your apartment."_

Beca stopped walking and took a moment before saying, "you're 20 minutes away from my apartment?"

 _"Yeah."_

"Shit," Beca swore under her breath. "Hey mom, hold on a second," Beca said to her mother before pulling her phone away from her ear and tapping on her messaging app, scrolling down to find her mother and read their latest exchange of text messages: she gave her mother her address after they talking about her flying from Pittsburgh on Saturday— _Friday_. Beca was almost sure it was Saturday until she read that her mother was coming on Friday. "Shit," she swore again before pressing her phone on her ear. "Yeah, sorry, mom. I'll be home in like 30 minutes. You just wait, okay?"

 _"I'll wait. I can't believe you're so close yet haven't come home."_

"I told you, mom, I'm really busy. You're busy too, so don't pin it on me."

 _"I'm not pinning anything on you— God, traffic is awful."_

"It's rush hour and it's Friday," Beca stated. "I told Saturday morning would be better," she added, shaking her head when she realized the reason why her mind was set on Saturday: She tried to get her mother to visit on Saturday and thought that she had convinced her.

"Hey, mom, I'm about to get into a subway station, I gotta go."

 _"Okay, be careful."_

"Always," Beca sighed, hanging up.

* * *

"Mom," Beca paced to the apartment complex, spotting her mother.

"Beca," her mother pulled her into a hug when she reached her. "Honey, you lost some weight," she cupped her face, frowning. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," Beca looked inside her pocket for her keys. "I'm doing great," she unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"Well, the bags under your eyes don't agree with you."

"Mom, I'm fine," Beca said firmly.

"Okay," she put her hands up in defeat.

"I just have a lot of work," she sighed, walking into the elevator.

"Don't let _work_ affect your health," she rubbed her back while Beca pushed the button to her level.

" _Working_ on it."

* * *

So, you've been here a month, I know you've been busy to get involved with anyone but I gotta ask, have you?"

"Actually," Beca set a couple of plates on the counter, "I'm seeing someone," she informed her mother.

"You are?" her mother arched her eyebrow in surprise.

"Yep," Beca nodded. "And, we're exclusively dating."

"Honey, I never thought I'd say this to you, but aren't you rushing things?"

"I," Beca cleared her throat, "I'm in love with him, have been for like 8 months," she reached for the pizza boxes and placed each pizza on a plate.

"Who is he?"

"Remember my roommate Jesse?" she looked up at her mother.

"the divorced guy with a baby, right?"

"Yep, that's _the one_."

"Didn't he move out months ago?"

"Seven months ago. He followed his ex-wife to New York to stay close to his daughter. I actually pushed him to move here."

"Honey, why didn't you say anything about him?"

"Because I was trying to move on and talking about him wouldn't help."

Her mother nodded, watching her turned on her heels.

"When am I meeting your boyfriend?" her mother asked watching Beca grab a couple of glasses and a bottle of wine.

"Tomorrow," Beca placed the glasses on the counter and filled them with red wine. "Jesse can only do brunch: he starts work at 1 pm."

"He works on weekends?"

"Yeah," Beca nodded, sitting down.

"But isn't he a teacher?"

"Jesse got a job bar-tending for the summer," Beca picked a slice of pizza and brought it to her mouth. She didn't comment on the way her mother heavily sighed. She chewed slowly, thinking of how to tell her mother about the baby from his ex-wife situation.

 _Fuck it—_ Beca grabbed her glass and gulp down some wine.

"There's something you should know," she started to say. "Jesse knocked up his ex-wife. She's 8 weeks pregnant and she's keeping it."

"And you're okay with that?"

"What am I supposed to do? Should I, like, resent Jesse for screwing his ex-wife when I'm the one who pushed him to follow her and their daughter across the country?"

"He's going to be there for her and their child, right?" she asked after a beat.

"Of course, he is, mom. What kind of question is that?"

"Honey, I care a great deal about your happiness but are you sure about _this_?"

"Mom, listen—"

"—No, you listen," her mother cut her off. "He's going to be spending a lot of time with his ex-wife. You're not a parent, you don't know what parents do for their children."

"If you think that he'd get back with his ex-wife because of their baby, don't," Beca said after swallowing. "They didn't stay together for Sam, they won't for their second baby. And, if Jesse stops wanting to be with me and gets back with Sandra then be it," she shrugged.

"You're fine with letting that happen?" her mother questioned in surprise.

"Yes. I'm leaving in a year anyway. At least, that would make it easier," she murmured.

"Hold on, you're leaving?"

"I'm going back to L.A.," Beca informed her. "I got a job there waiting for me, in a year from now."

"Beca," her mother called softly.

"I don't like living in New York. Jesse thinks he can convince me to stay here."

"If you love him you should stay with him."

"It doesn't work like that," Beca shook her head. "You know me and you know how pointless it is to try and change my mind so can we not talk about my life choices?"

"Fine."

"Thank you."

* * *

Beca plans for the night were to work were screwed but she didn't mind. She missed her mother and catching up with her was fun.

1:10 am, Beca woke up to her phone vibrating on the nightstand. She blinked a couple of times and grabbed it. "Jesse, you better be dying," she sleepily said, picking up.

 _"Not dying, no. I'm downstairs, can you let me up?"_ She sat up and resisted the urge to groan at his slurred speech. Beca glanced at her mother when she shifted in her sleep.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she got out of bed and walked out of her bedroom.

 _"I need to pee and you live closer to the bar."_

She looked through the window and saw him. He looked up and waved at her, hanging up the phone.

"Hey, Bec," he grinned.

"Keep your voice down," she told him then walked to the kitchen counter where she looked through her bag and pulled her keys.

"Here," she threw him her keys. He almost fell over when he bent down to collect them from the ground.

Beca went to her bedroom to check if her mother was still asleep then got out and unlocked the front door and waited for him.

"Heeeeeey!" he greeted as he stepped out of the elevator.

"Inside voices," she whispered-yelled and he nodded.

"Why are you drunk?" she asked when he leaned in and pecked her lips. She didn't get to taste what he had been drinking but the smell of vodka was enough.

"It's Mae's birthday and so we had a couple of celebratory shots," he slurred following her inside the apartment.

"A couple of shots," she repeated after him, closing the door. He gave her puppy dog eyes and nodded.

"Who's Mae?" she asked.

"We work together, she turned 22," he sang the 22 like in the Taylor Swift song 22.

"Oh, yeah, that's her name," she murmured to herself, recalling the young bartender that she met a few times at the bar. "Well, mom is sleeping you're not allowed to talk once you step inside my bedroom. You are so not meeting her for the first time like this."

"What do you mean _like this_?" he smoothed his hair. "I look great," he hiccuped.

"Jesse, I serious," she cupped his face. "You can't wake her up."

"Got it," he pecked her lips then started to make his way to her bedroom.

She followed him in to make sure he stayed quiet. She leaned against the closed en-suite bathroom door and waited for him. "Shush," she said when he started humming a song.

"Sorry," he whisper-yelled, zipping his fly. He washed his hands then followed her out of the bedroom.

"C'mon, you gotta sober up and go home," Beca whispered, walking to the kitchenette. "How many shots did you drink?" she asked as she set the coffee machine.

"5, 6? I don't know," he shrugged.

"Have some water," she told him.

"Wasn't your mom supposed to come tomorrow?" he asked as he pulled a beer from her fridge.

"I thought she was coming tomorrow," she turned to him. "This is not water," she took the beer from his hand and put it back in the fridge.

"Baby, you look hot in boxers," he playfully smacked her butt then placed a hand on her arm and pulled her to him. "You're so beautiful," he slurred, grinning at her.

"Jesse," she removed herself from his arms. "Drink. Some. Water."

Jesse groaned, filling a glass of tap water and drowning it. He leaned against the sink and watched her set the coffee machine. "You think our kids would have blue eyes like yours or brown mine?" he asked.

"What was that?" she glanced at him. She was focused on setting the machine, his slurred speech was hard to follow.

"I asked if you think our kids will have steel blue eyes like yours— I want them to have your eyes. I actually want them to look like you."

"You really drunk you right now you won't remember any of this," she turned to him.

"I'm not drunk at all. You're just blurry," he shrugged. "C'mere," he gave his hand. She took it and let him hug her.

"You smell nice," he said into her hair, squeezing her in his arms. "I love you," he grinned at her when she looked up.

"I love you, too," she smiled at him, kissing him back when he pressed his lips against hers.

She had no intention of letting the kiss they were sharing escalate into anything more but once he pulled away to catch his breath and looked her lustfully she forgot that her mother was sleeping in her bedroom and let him pick her up and sit her on the counter. She wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling his closer as they made out.

"No," she shook her head, placing her hand over his when he tried to slip his hand under her boxers. "We can't," she pulled away. "Jesse, mom is sleeping in my bedroom," she stroked her cheek when he pouted.

"Okay," he nodded. "Can we just kiss, then?"

"Yeah," she leaned in, "we can do that," she said against his lips. She decided that they could make out until coffee was ready.

To say least, making out with restraints was hard. Beca was starting to get frustrated when she had to stop him from nibbling her neck.

"Beca?"

 _Shit_ — Beca pulled away, panting. "Mom," she managed to say, tilting her head and unwrapping her legs from around Jesse's waist.

"Jesse, I assume," her mother cleared her throat as she walked to the kitchenette.

"Yes, ma'am," he slurred, stepping away from Beca and extended his hand. "Pleasure meeting you," he shook her hand.

"Likewise," she eyed him.

"Jesse was on his way home from work but had to use the bathroom, I live closer to where he works," she explained to her mother, hopping off of the counter. Glad the coffee machine had finished, she paced to it and poured a mug then handed it to Jesse.

"Thanks," he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Jesse, go sit on the couch."

"M'kay," he started to make his way to the couch.

Beca uncomfortably scratched the back of her neck, feeling the blush burning on her cheeks.

"Do they pay him to drink?" her mother asked watching Jesse walk in heavy steps.

"They were celebrating his co-worker's birthday and had some shots... Could you please stop looking at me like that? We weren't going to do anything."

"Yeah, you're don't need to explain yourself," she chuckled humorlessly. "I don't want to place any judgments but I really hope you know what you're doing."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Beca crossed her arms, defensively.

"You know exactly what it means," she sighed.

Her mother was right, Beca knew what her mother meant. Jesse was a mess and came with a lot of baggage that she was overlooking because of how she felt about him.

"You shouldn't send him out. He can barely walk."

"If coffee doesn't help. He'll spend the night on the couch," Beca said glancing at the living area.

"Well, I got up to drink a glass of water," her mother walked to the fridge and pulled a water filter pitcher, pouring a glass and drinking it.

"Night," she said to her daughter before making her way back to the bedroom.

"Good night, ma'am," Jesse sat up when he saw her.

"Good night," she said over her shoulders.

Beca walked to the couch and sat down next to Jesse, burring her face in her hands.

"You okay?" he asked, placing the mug on the coffee table.

"Yeah," she nodded, sighing as she leaned against the couch. "Are you feeling any better?" she asked.

"I feel amazing," he hiccuped. "Hey, babe, what should I call your mom?"

"She goes by her maiden name: Ward."

"Ms. Ward. Okay. First name?"

"Nicole. Doubt you'd get to call her by her first name anytime soon."

He nodded, throwing his arm around her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"It's all right," she sat up. "You should drink more water and get some sleep."

He pulled her back, kicking off his shoes. "Stay with me," he nuzzled her neck.

"Lemme go get a bed sheet," she placed a kiss on his jawline when he pulled away, "and some sweatpants for you."

"Okay," he removed his arm. She got up and walked to her bedroom, carefully walking to her closet and grabbing a pair of sweatpants that he left over along with a flat sheet.

"Bec, you should get a sofa bed," he said as he carefully folded his jeans.

"My couch isn't comfortable enough?" she asked, handing his sweatpants.

"No, it's very comfortable. But, sofa beds are larger," he got up and wore his sweatpants. Beca had to hold his arm to keep him from falling. She let him throw the sheet on the couch and made her way to the kitchenette, walking back with a glass of water.

"You don't want to wake up with an awful hangover, now, do you?" she asked when he groaned.

He hesitantly took the glass and drank it then placed it on the coffee table.

"You gonna sleep with me or with your mother?" he asked then chuckled. "That came off weird— you gonna spend the night on the couch or next to your mom?" he rephrased his question.

"With you," she watched him lay down.

"Great," he grinned then made room for her.

"You smell really nice," he said breathing in her scent, wrapping her in his arms and placing a kiss on her cheek.

"You smell like vodka, sweat," she snuggled up to him, "and coffee." She chuckled when she heard him sniff himself. "Is that a bad smell?" he asked.

"No, you're good. Now sleep."

"Night," he breathed.

* * *

Jesse woke up hungover, his headache, however, was tolerable. Glancing out of the window, he saw that it was the break of dawn. He moved slowly, trying not to disturb Beca who was holding on to his arm. He grimaced, closing his eyes when the events of the night came back to him: he met her mother drunk off his ass. Did he really have to drink 7 shots of vodka in celebration of Mae's birthday before heading home?

He removed his arm and eyed Beca as she slept. He felt bad for showing up drunk. He knew her mother wasn't going to be a fan of their relationship and he gave her another reason not to like him.

Jesse had to use the bathroom but he didn't want to walk in on Beca's mother sleeping. He felt like he would be invading her privacy. Jesse figured he'd take Beca to her bed, use the toilet, leave to wash up and come later to properly meet her mother over brunch as planned.

"Bec," he gently shook her shoulder. She moaned in response. "Beca, I'm gonna take to bed then leave. I'll text you, okay?" he spoke softly, while keeping his distance, not wanting his breath to disturb her. She nodded then sighed, sitting up.

He quickly got up and picked her up bridal style, placing a kiss on her forehead before making his way to her bedroom. He gently laid her down next to her mother then made his way to the en-suite bathroom, making as little noise as he could. He still wanted to make a decent impression—do some damage control.

* * *

 **AN:** Thoughts? Will Jesse manage to make a good impression? I'm gonna shake things up a little bit in the next chapter: I'm taking your suggestion, Jessie Mai.

Thanks for reading people. Peace out.


	9. Chapter 9

It was 10:02 am, Jesse had ran the distance from the subway station to the restaurant he was meeting Beca and her mother at. He would have gotten there earlier, like he had planned, if he didn't have to walk back to his apartment to get the music sheets he forgot.

Jesse took a moment to compose himself before stepping inside the restaurant. Sucking in a breath, he pushed the door open and walked in. He scanned the place and spotted Beca: She had her elbow on the table, cheek against her palm, and was scrolling down her cell. Her mother was sitting next to her, leaning against her seat, and typing on her phone.

Jesse made his way to them, wiping the sweat from his brow when he reached them. "Morning," he greeted, placing the folder he had in hand and phone on the table. He extended his hand towards Beca's mother who had put her phone down.

"How are you doing, ma'am?" he asked, shaking her hand.

"I'm doing well."

"Were you running?" Beca frowned, noticing how he was panting. She got on her feet and briefly hugged him.

"Yeah," he nodded, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Ugh, you're all sweaty," she grimaced, pulling away.

"I didn't want to be late," he explained, taking a seat, facing them.

"What's that?" Beca nodded at the folder.

"Some pieces I wrote few months ago," he answered curtly. "You guys ordered yet?" he asked, looking between them.

"No," Beca said, reaching for the folder.

"We were waiting for you," Ms. Ward leaned in to check the sheet Beca had pulled out of the folder.

"What's this for?" Beca asked as she read the musical notes.

"Eh, it's nothing," he shrugged. "Some college kids are making a short movie and asked me if I could score it. I'm showing them some of the stuff I made," he added when Beca looked up, waiting for elaboration. He reached for the glass of water that was in front of Beca and drank from it.

"I've seen the short and these pieces seem to go well with it, in my opinion," he watched Beca hum the notes and smiled to himself when he noticed the way she was drumming her fingers on the table.

"If these don't work, I'll either write something new or look through the pieces I have."

"This sounds sad," Ms. Ward noted once her daughter finished humming the piece.

"It's depressing," Beca placed the sheet back in the folder and pushed it Jesse's way. "I like it. It's really good," she held his gaze.

"Thank you," he smiled at her then looked at her mother. "I'm sorry about last night, ma'am," he apologized. She nodded at his apology.

 _Not a good sign_ — Jesse tsked, reaching for the menu.

"You went to film school, right?" he heard her ask after a few awkward seconds of silence.

"Yes," he nodded. "I got a scholarship: I majored in composing."

"Minored in anything?"

"Film-making," he replied. "I was a part of some projects but they were all school related, nothing worth mentioning," he added as he put the menu down.

"Jesse scored a feature length movie. It came out earlier this year, I think."

"Yeah,"he affirmed. "Bec got me that job," he told Ms. Ward.

"I didn't get you the job," Beca rolled her eyes. "I just told you about it."

"You got me to go when I had given up on making a living outta composing."

"That's not—"

"—Beca, the way you looked at me when you told me about the gig got me to go," he smiled at her. "You were really excited about it and I felt like I would disappoint you if I didn't at least try," Jesse reached under the table for Beca's hand. He touched her knee and felt her take his hand, squeezing it as she smiled at him.

"How are you going to balance between your relationship with my daughter the one with your ex-wife?—you're going to be more involved in her life since you're expecting your second child with her."

Jesse cleared his throat, suddenly feeling like the collar of his t-shirt was too tight. The question was out of the blue but was clear yet he didn't know how to answer her.

"Honestly, I don't know," he answered, feeling Beca rub her thumb against his knuckles. Her mother didn't like him. He saw it the moment she looked at him when he joined them. He had wanted to make a good impression but he realized, as he tried to think of a better answer, that that ship had sailed when he met her the night before.

"I want to say that I will not mess up and keep everything under control but I can't because then I'd be lying to myself and to you. I'm trying. I really am. I'm trying to do a good job as a parent to both Samantha and the new baby and also treat Bec the way she deserves. I love Sam and the baby, they're my kids. And, I also love your daughter very much. I'm not going to promise that I won't let spending time with Sandra for the sake of our kids, in any way, affect what I have with Beca. I'm not perfect. I can't make promises that I know that I might not keep. But I can and am promising you that I will try my best not let my relationship with Sandra affect Beca."

Jesse was amazed by how neutral the expression on Ms. Ward face was. Beca could pull it off really well but not as well as her mother. He remembered that she worked as an a lawyer so it made sense she could keep a neutral expression. He tsked then glanced at Beca who was watching her mother.

Beca arched an eyebrow,tilting her head to look at Jesse, and shrugged when he held her gaze and slightly shook his head silently asking for her help.

Ms. Ward sighed then reached for the menu. "What are you ordering?" she asked no one in particular as she gestured for the waiter to come. "I think I'm having scrambled eggs."

"I'll have scrambled eggs, too," Beca shrugged then nodded at Jesse.

"Um, French toast," he said. He was still hungover and was slightly nauseous.

* * *

"How old is Samantha?" Ms. Ward asked when the waiter placed their order.

"A year and 7 months," Jesse answered. "Well, she's gonna turn a year and 7 months next week."

"She should be making two-word sentences by now."

"Yep. Along with gibberish that doesn't make sense but sounds like it should. Does that make any sense?"

"It does," she nodded. "I remember how Beca would get really angry when no one understands her and just storms off, hiding in really clever spots for a toddler," she smiled at a memory.

"Like where?" Jesse asked, intrigued.

"She once hid in her dad's car. Um, another time, she hid in the basement," she titled her head to look at Beca. "Your dad and I would spend hours looking for you."

"Hide and seek champ over here," Beca pointed at herself.

"Well, Sam doesn't get pissy when I don't get what she's saying, thankfully."

"You lucked out."

"Okay, I'm offended," Beca said to her mother.

"Beca, you were a pain in the ass. You were a really _cute_ kid but a serious pain in the ass."

Jesse snorted, watching Beca's facial expression at her mother's use of the adjective cute.

"So, Beca has always been angry at the world?" he let out a small laugh when Ms. Ward nodded. "Beca, you're like that grumpy angry Smurf, um," he paused, trying to recall its name, "Grouchy Smurf: Angry and tiny—Ow!" he exclaimed, pulling leg back when Beca kicked him in the shin.

"Beca!" her mother called. Beca shrugged, looking at her scrambled eggs.

Jesse rubbed his shin then picked up his phone when it chimed with a text. "Excuse me for a second," he sighed, unlocking the screen. "It's Sandra," he told them.

 **'I couldn't find a flight on Tuesday.'**

Jesse rubbed his forehead reading her text.

"Is everything all right?"Beca asked.

"Yeah, yeah. It's just that Sandra is going to spend the 4th of July with her folks in L.A. She's taking Sam with her. The thing is that we talked about her booking a flight on Tuesday so that I'd get to have Sam over for a day, at least, next week. She couldn't find any flights on Tuesday," he told them as he typed back his reply.

 **'Book whatever works for you.'**

"I was looking forward to seeing her. We were going to the zoo," he said, placing his cell on the table. "I'll take her when I have her over, I guess," he shrugged.

"How did you split the week?"

"Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays with me the rest will Sandra."

"You're going to have to cut to lesser days when she's older. It'll mess her up to keep on going back and forth between the two of you."

"Yeah, we talked about it. This is just because Sammy is really young and deserves to spend time with the both of us. When she grows older I guess she'll permanently stay with her mom and pays me a visit like twice a month or something," he shrugged.

"Or the other way around. You should let her pick," Beca jumped in.

"You stayed with your mom, right?"

"Yeah, until I was, like, 16," she shrugged. "You moved here around that time, right?" Beca asked her mother who nodded in response.

Jesse frowned, watching them and waiting for elaboration.

"Beca decided to go live with her dad because she didn't like New York and staying with her grandparents in Pittsburgh was a no-no," Ms. Ward said, noting Jesse's curiosity.

"Yeah, well, I didn't know anyone in New York. You'd get paranoid when I leave the house, scared I'd do whatever stupid teenagers do because I was 'disturbingly quiet for my age'," Beca rolled her eyes using air-quotation."Nana and Pops are fine when I see them on holidays but if I stayed with them I would have gain like 100 pounds. At least, dad and step-monster wouldn't overfeed me. And, I'd actually see them, have conversations with them, even if it's weird small talk with Sheila about boys and school or dad trying to make awful jokes," she cringed thinking about one of the times where she and Sheila talked about boys."Not read notes that I'd find on the fridge because you practically lived at the firm."

"I'm sorry I worked too much," Ms. Ward apologize, going through a quick guilt trip.

"It's fine," Beca shrugged."What?" she arched an eyebrow when she looked at Jesse to find him grinning at her. "Nothing, I was just imagining how you were like when you were a teenager," he shrugged.

"Darker makeup. A wardrobe that consists of plaids, skinny jeans and combat boots. Always on her laptop remixing songs," Ms. Ward told him.

Jesse chuckled to himself, watching Beca roll her eyes. He was still nervous but somehow was starting to relax a little. Beca's mother didn't show any sign that she was a fan of his but he figured out what she was doing— at least, he thought he did: she was trying to get to know him… maybe, give him a shot to show her who he is? See who he is through talking about what they had in common which was having a daughter?

Beca told him that her mother was excellent at her job. She had a knack for seeing through people. He hoped she could see that he was head over heels for her daughter and was serious about treating her rightfully.

"Wanna see my daughter?" Jesse asked.

"Sure," she shrugged.

Jesse picked his phone, unlocking it before he tapped on his gallery.

"She's a precious little thing," Ms. Ward softened her expression, commenting on the photo on Jesse's phone when he placed it in front of her.

"Thank you," he thanked her, feeling a sense of accomplishment because he had finally gotten her to show an emotion.

* * *

"That went well, right?" Jesse asked as he and Beca stood few feet away from her mother, who was talking on the phone, while they waited at a subway station.

"She went full on lawyer on you back there. There's no way to be sure, but I think you're good," she shrugged.

"You do?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Your mom is really intimidating."

"I know," she sighed. "It's weird when she gets like that," she blew a breath.

"You know what's weirder?"

"What?"

"The fact that your parents are super smart people with, like, real jobs and you picked making music as a career."

"Are you saying that I'm stupid for not picking a 'real job' like my parents?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What? No!" he shook his head. "It's just weird that they didn't influence your career choice."

"They tried but let's just say I'm too stubborn for my own good. And, I did stay in college and got a degree—a degree that I never used but it made them happy," she looked behind him, hearing a subway coming. "That's you," she nodded at it.

"What are you gonna do today?" he asked, glancing at the subway.

"I'm gonna try and convince mom to stay in my air-conditioned apartment. And, if it doesn't work, we'll probably go get a mani-pedi, or something," she shrugged.

"Well, have fun," he leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek. She frowned at the gesture and he nodded at her mother who was still on the phone not so far from them.

"Holy shit, you're really scared of mom!" she laughed. "My _very_ confident boyfriend is frightened of my mother," she cupped his face, initiating a long passionate kiss that she knew Jesse would have love any other day. Pulling away, she grinned at the blush on his cheeks. "I never thought I'd live to see you blush, like, _ever_ ," Beca said in amusement.

"I love you. Bye," he placed a kiss on her forehead then paced to the subway.

"You too, nerd!" Beca said in a loud voice.

"Is he blushing?" her mother's voice came from behind, watching Jesse glance at Beca before getting inside the subway.

Beca nodded then turned on her heels. "Jesse is really intimidated by you."

"I knew making me go with you to drop him off wasn't as innocent of a gesture as you made it out to be," she chuckled, shaking her head.

"Jesse is usually really confident, it gets annoying sometimes," she stuffed her hands in her pockets. "It's pretty hot today," she remarked as they waked up the stairs.

"It is."

"Can we go back to my apartment and eat ice-cream while we both work in silence?" she asked, eyeing her mother. "Think of all the unread e-mails you need to answer," Beca added when she shook her head.

"Beca, you're walking in my steps of workaholism and you need to put a stop to it before it's too late," she sighed tilting her head. "We're spending quality time then we're having a serious talk about your relationship with Jesse."

"Can we skip the quality time and get it over with," Beca stopped walking. "You don't like him. It's fine. I honestly don't care that much. It would have been better if you did tolerate him because that way I wouldn't have to listen to whatever lecture you have for me."

"No," her mother answered curtly and continued to walk.

Beca groaned following her. "I haven't seen you in like a year. I'd like it very much if you would just tell me what you want—"

"Beca, you will get defensive and walk away after we talk. I know you. Stop acting like a child. It was cute when you were an actual child."

"I won't get defensive."

"Fine," her mother gave in. "Let's go back to your apartment. At least, that way you won't have anywhere to run away to," she murmured the last part.

* * *

"You wanna hear what I have to say about your boyfriend?" Ms. Ward rhetorically asked as she closed the door behind them.

"Bring it on," Beca placed her bag on the couch.

"He is a serious mess and will probably have nervous breakdown, I'm guessing, around the time you leave him."

"What?" Beca frowned. She had expected a lecture on how unhealthy it is to have a relationship with Jesse given the circumstances.

"Beca, why do you always do this?" her mother asked in a very even voice.

"Why do I always do what?"

"You always get involved with men that you eventually fall in love with only to run away from them. It's like you have this mark you hit then you call it quits. You did it with that boy you dated through college. You did it with Crispin. And, now you're going to do it with Jesse."

"Hey, Crispin was going to ask me to marry him. I didn't run away from him. He wanted something that he knew I didn't want to do."

"But, you knew he'd ask you. C'mon, Beca, you don't stay with a man for 3 years and not expect him to ask you to marry him."

"What does this have to do with Jesse?" Beca asked after a beat.

"You're dragging a man who is splitting his time between you, his daughter, unborn child, and ex-wife, while also trying to get you to stay."

"You're trying to make me feel guilty? Is that it?" she asked and watched her mother shake her head. "Well, yeah, it'll suck when I leave him then starts to suck less until it stops—that if we do make it through the year together."

"How did it work for you the last time you bailed? I'm pretty sure it took you like a year to get over Cris."

"Okay, I'm done talking about this," Beca picked her bag and started to make her way out.

"This is exactly why I wanted to postpone this talk. You don't want to face your issues so you just take off. Reminds you of someone?"

"I'm not dad," Beca shook her head at her mother's implication.

"Your dad gave up on us when he got the position in Barden."

"No. He gave up on us because you were too busy working to notice how he was drifting away—This is pointless. I'm done. If you'd like, we can go have _quality time_."

"We can go out," she sighed. "But you really need to reconsider your actions, sweetheart, and think about what's good for you because job opportunities come and go but you can only mess up so many times in your love life. You might not realize it know but it'll hit you like a ton of bricks when you're older," she reached for the door and unlocked it. "Trust me, I know," she said over her shoulders.

* * *

 **AN:** Thanks for reading, people of the internet. Your feedback makes my day. I hope you enjoy this. I'd like to hear your thought, criticism, suggestions.

It just hit me that in my last note I mentioned that I'm going to shake things up. Welp, although this chapter's ending does count as shaking things up, it's not what I had in mind. And, it wouldn't add up if include it in this chapter. Um, next chapter will have what I had originally planned to write and _forgot_.

Stay awesome. Peace out!


	10. Chapter 10

Beca smiled a very weak smile at her mother when she titled her head as the Uber drove away. It had been an interesting weekend. Her mother had met her 'mess' of a boyfriend, told her some things that she had since been replaying in her head. She sighed and walked back inside the building she lived at. She pulled her ringing phone from her back pocket.

"Yeah?" she said answering Jesse.

 _"Hey—What's wrong?"_ he asked, noting her tone.

She chuckled humorlessly at the fact that just from one word Jesse noticed her low mood.

"Nothing," she lied.

 _"Not true,"_ he paused, hearing her sigh. _"I'll get it out of you one way or another. Now, tell me, you mom leave yet?"_

"Yeah, she just took off," she said pushing the button for her level.

 _"Okay. I kinda forgot to feed Bender. You think you can drop by my place and feed him? I won't be home until like 2:00 am."_

"Yeah, sure," she leaned against the metallic wall of the elevator. "I guess I'll come to the bar to get the keys?"

 _"Yeah. Thanks."_

Reaching her apartment, she picked her MetroCard, stuffing it in her pocket along with some cash in case she needed it.

Beca hadn't seen Jesse since he had met her mother. They texted throughout the weekend but she had strangely missed him more than she usually did. She figured it had something to do with how usually she'd spend the weekend working, too busy to think about him.

* * *

Walking inside the bar, she smiled watching Jesse work. He was very focused on the cocktail he was making that he didn't notice her. "A glass of tap water, please," she requested, placing her hand on the counter.

"A glass of a water. Got it," he nodded absentmindedly.

"Add a kiss to the order," she added then smiled when he looked up.

"I have a girlfriend, sorry," he grinned, not sounding sorry. He placed the cocktail in front of a customer, picked up a 20 dollars bill, and returned the change before shifting his attention to Beca.

"Girlfriend, huh?"

"Yep," he placed a pint of tap water in front of her. "And, I love every inch of her very much."

"I love you, too," she leaned up and kissed him.

"Hi," he smiled, pulling away, knowing that he wouldn't be able to stop if they kissed for a longer period. He eyed her for a few seconds and saw how her mind was elsewhere. Knowing, she wouldn't tell him what was bothering her easily, he decided to leave for later. "Thanks for doing this. I got out in a hurry and forgot to even brush my teeth," he chuckled, watching her grimace as she sucked her teeth.

"Shut up. I was chewing a mint chewing gum before you got here."

"You start at 1 pm. Why were you in a hurry?"

"I was up until 4 am," he told her as he took an order. "I decided to work on the piece I'm working on and didn't realize how late it had gotten. I didn't hear my alarm clock when it went off," he informed her shifting his attention back to her then reached into his pocket and pulled his key chain, removing a key from it. "Here you go," he handed it to her.

"I'll drop by and give back later," she said.

"No, keep it."

"We're at that stage already?" She arched her eyebrows.

"Well, think of it this way: you're my best friend before you became my girlfriend and as a best friend you should totally have a key to my place," he shrugged.

"That's reasonable," she accepted the key and added to her key chain. She took the spare to her apartment between her fingers, thinking of giving it to him.

"Bec, don't feel obligated to do that. I want you to have the key to my apartment but it doesn't mean you have to give me yours," he leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips. "Now, go. You distracting me from my work."

Beca drank the water and placed a 5 dollar bill on the counter then looked up at Jesse.

"Tap water is for free," he pushed her bill back.

"I'm tipping for the satisfying service," she pushed it back his way."Wanna hang out later?" she asked watching him take it.

"I finish late, you know."

"I know," she nodded and leaned up. "I want you. I'm willing to wait up," she said into his ear and heard him sigh before nuzzled her cheek. "I'll come over," he said huskily into her ear then watched her pull away. "Or, you know what?" he scratched his stubble. "I have an idea."

Beca arched an eyebrow and eyed him, "okay, I'm listening."

"Wait," he told her then walked to the other bartender, Marcus, and tapped his shoulder. Beca watched Jesse as he told him something and saw Marcus nod and say something back.

Jesse grinned then walked around the counter, taking Beca's hand in his. "We've got half an hour," he said as they walked.

"Are you saying that we gonna—"

"Yes," he interrupted her, guiding her to a room in the back. "Marcus' shift over in 30 minutes, he's gonna cover for me until then," he said as he locked the door behind them.

"What are you looking for?" he asked, watching her look around the room.

"Surveillance cameras," she answered.

"There aren't any," he assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "This is what we call the _napping zone_. It's for when one of us needs a power nap."

"I figured," Beca nodded eyeing the couch that looked less than comfortable to nap on.

"Hey, Bec, you're on the pill, right?"

"Yeah," she frowned at his question because he knew she was.

"Sorry for asking, I'm just double checking. I _literally_ cannot afford to get you pregnant, and I don't have a condom."

"I'm not planning on getting knocked up anytime soon. Don't worry. We're good," she stepped closer to him, cupping his face and pulling him down to her, kissing him hard and walking backwards.

"How many people have had sex on this couch?" Beca asked after climbing on Jesse's lap when he sat down on the couch.

"I'm guessing, a lot. I mean there's a lock on the door," he shrugged then wrapped his arms around her.

"Yeah, I'm not gonna lay on it," she shook her head.

"But, you don't like this position. It makes your knees hurt,"

"I'm not gonna lay down," she tightened her hold around his neck. "Now, stop talking. We don't have a lot of time," she pressed her lips against his.

He let her kiss him and grind against him for a while but knowing it will make her knees hurt was bugging him. He kissed her passionately then slipped his hand under her butt, bringing her closer before he got up.

"What are you doing?" Beca mumbled.

"You," he curtly answered, pinning her against a wall then burying his face in her neck and he slipped his hand under her tank.

"You're fine with this, right?" he asked, pulling away.

"If you don't touch me soon I won't be," she breathlessly said, slightly irritated by the fact he wasn't touching her.

"You're grumpy today," he reached for her shorts' fly and unzipped it. "We're talking about what's bothering you later, okay?"

She nodded just so that he'd stop talking and help her reduce some of the anxiety she had been bottling down.

And, he did.

Jesse placed a kiss on her nose then slowly put her down. Beca held on to him, realizing she still had jelly legs. Jesse quickly buckled his belt then took her hand, guiding her to the couch. "we still got, like, 5 minutes," he ran his fingers through his hair, sitting down.

"Thanks," she leaned up and kissed him. "I really needed this," she rested her forehead against his, feeling his breath. She smiled when he stroked her cheek then placed a kiss on her lips and pulled her into a hug. Any other day she would have told him to let her breath and made comments on how 'he's all sweaty' but she liked the comfort his hug had brought.

She rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes as she listened to his heart beating. She would have fallen asleep if his phone didn't chime with a text and killed any chance of that happening.

"I gotta get back," Jesse said, reading the text.

"Okay," she sat up and pulled her keys from her pockets. "Let yourself in in case I fell asleep," she gave him her spare. He frowned, eyeing her, as he held the key. "I'm not asking you to keep my key. I'm giving you the key to my place only 'cause I don't wanna wake up to get the door for you," she got on her feet.

"Give it back when you come over later," she said zipping her shorts and adjusting her bra then looked at him. He nodded, getting up.

* * *

After bidding farewell, Beca took the subway, heading to Jesse's apartment. On the way there, she found herself thinking, yet again, about what her mother had told her. Did she really have issues? She tried to think of how all her past relationships ended and it was always her who called quits without a good enough reason to wreck a relationship.

Before Jesse, she had two legitimate relationships: One with a guy named Nick, who she had dated throughout college but broke up with during his senior year and her junior year because he was graduating and she didn't want to tie him down to her. Nick was good to her. He loved her. She loved him. They had a very healthy relationship.

Her other relationship was with Crispin. He always talked about wanting a family someday. She always told him that starting a family wasn't in her near future plans. She'd be lying if she denied knowing he was going to pop the question because he kept dropping hints and she didn't react to them like she would usually do so he thought she was on board and she didn't correct him.

It was the mark her mother talked about. Crispin asking her to marry him was _it_.

She thought about Nick and the mark for their relationship: Him graduating.

Beca ran her fingers through her hair and blew a breath. She always ended relationships that could have survived if she didn't let go too soon.

On the walking distance from the subway station to Jesse's apartment, Beca thought about her and Jesse. She had a valid reason to call it quits. New York was temporary for her and permanent for him.

She kept telling herself that picking her life in L.A over staying in New York wasn't their _mark._ That it was a coincidence that she ended two relationships because they reached a certain point. That the heartache she brought to herself wasn't all her fault.

Lost in her thoughts, she almost walked past where Jesse lived. She shook her head and paced to the building, shaking off her current thoughts and replacing them with ones about poor hungry Bender: the dog that made her occasionally feel like a side chick.

She made her way to his apartment and felt a little weird, going in without Jesse being there there. Bender attacked her with his love, jumping her and barking, wanting to play with her when he recognized her.

"Good boy," she said patting him before she walked to the kitchenette and grabbed his food, placing some of it in his bowl.

Bender didn't waste a second after she placed his food for him. Beca stepped back and eyed him then looked up hearing someone knock on the front door.

"Hi," Beca forced a smile, seeing that it was Jesse's across the hall neighbor, Kate, when she unlocked the door. She opened the door widely when Kate looked behind her. "Jesse isn't here," she informed her.

"I heard Bender so I thought it was him."

"Well, it's not," Beca maintained the same fake smile. "I came over to feed Bender... What can I do for you, Kate?"

"Um, these are Jesse's. He left them over, like, a week ago."

Beca frowned taking the Starwars unaltered original trilogy Blu Ray cases from Kate.

"We only got to finish New Hope then his daughter fell asleep and he had to leave."

Beca nodded, rubbing her thumb on one of the cases. It was her gift to him for Christmas. It made her slightly annoyed that Jesse was still hanging out with his neighbor who clearly had a crush on him that she had acted on. It shouldn't have bothered her but it. And, him forgetting something she gave him at his neighbor's place annoyed her even more.

"I'll make sure I tell him you dropped these by," Beca said. "Anything else?"

"No, thanks. I'll text him if there's anything," she shrugged.

 _I'm not angry. I'm not angry. I'm not angry_ — Beca kept telling herself. _Why would I be mad? They text. They're friends. Friends text and watch movies together. It's normal to forget something that was gifted to you at your friend's house_ — "Okay," Beca stepped back. "I'll see you around Kate."

"Oh, wait. I just remembered that he still has my brownie pan. We baked here and I forgot to take it. You think you can get it for me?"

"Sure," Beca nodded. "Um, c'mon in. I don't wanna leave the door open. Bender, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah, thank you."

Beca let her in then closed the door behind them.

"Brownie pan," Beca murmured. _Fine, I'm angry_ — she clenched her fist.

She wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even herself, but she was jealous of Kate because she got to hang out with Jesse, watch movies with him and bake with him. While she gets a quickie in 'the napping zone' and a quick lunch in front of a food truck because of their stupid work hours. Her excuses for getting mad were silly and she was aware of that but it didn't help make her less angry.

She looked around for a brownie pan and found it. "Is this it?" She asked, turning to look at Kate who was playing with Bender.

"Yeah, that's the one," she straightened up. "Thank you," she took it from her and started to make her way out of the apartment. Beca left shortly after she did.

* * *

Beca heard Jesse when he got in. She glanced at the time to find it 1:15 am. She pulled the covers and pretended she was asleep. She was still mad. Very mad.

Jesse carefully walked, making as little noise as he could, thinking she was asleep. He took off his t-shirt, walking into the en-suite bathroom.

He felt sticky from all the sweat. He needed a shower but it could wake Beca up so he settled for simply washing his face, neck, hands and brushing his teeth.

Walking out of the en-suite bathroom, Jesse took off his jeans, converse and socks before climbing next to Beca. He watched her for a few seconds then leaned in and placed a kiss on her shoulder. He didn't have the heart to wake her up even though she green lit it. She had work to wake up to the next day. He laid back eyed her as she gave him his back then reached for her hair and stroked it.

She texted him that she had fed Bender and that Kate over to give him back some _DVDs_ and took her pan.

He found it weird that she didn't recognize the _Blu Ray_ cases because she gave them to him. It was also weird that she referred to them as ' _some DVDs'._ Jesse figured it had something to do with whatever that was bothering her.

* * *

Jesse woke up on his own, by himself. He blinked then looked at the nightstand to check the time on the alarm clock. He almost jumped when he saw that it was 12:47 pm then realized that it was Monday and that he didn't work on Mondays.

Sam was her with mother, probably on a plane to L.A, as he laid in bed. He wouldn't see her until next Monday.

Jesse got out of Beca's bed and walked out of the room as he unlocked his phone, checking if he had received any e-mails or texts. He didn't find any. He walked to the kitchenette, hoping to find a note on the fridge. He frowned not finding anything.

 ** _'Hey, babe, I just woke up. Sorry for sleeping in.'_** he texted Beca.

It was weird for Beca not to leave him at least a note when she'd leave and he'd still be asleep.

He shrugged it off and stretched, taking a look around the kitchenette. There were a few plates and bowls in the sink waiting to get washed, coffee in the coffee machine, and Pop-Tarts on the counter.

Jesse had some Pop-Tarts and black coffee for breakfast. Feeling less than productive for the day, he decided to kill time until Beca came back from work. He washed the plates in her sink along with the mug he drank coffee in then showered and changed into a clean t-shirt and boxers, he had left over, and wore back his jeans.

He went to his apartment to feed Bender then went back to Beca's, making a quick stop at a grocery store to get the grocery he needed so that they'd make dinner together.

Jesse made it back to Beca's apartment before she did. He unpacked grocery then took a seat on the couch, watching whatever was on the TV. He checked his phone to see if Beca had texted him back and seeing that she didn't he figured she was busy.

As he tossed his phone on the coffee table, he heard her unlock the door.

"Hey, million dollar baby," he greeted, getting up. She tossed her bag on the couch and ran her fingers through her hair, "hi."

"Long day at work?" he asked, throwing an arm over her shoulder and pulling her to him.

"The usual," she replied.

"What's wrong?" he frowned.

"Nothing," she stepped away and walked to her bedroom.

"No. Something is up," he followed her.

"I'm just tired," she shrugged.

"Beca, you agreed to talk to me about whatever it is that has been bugging you," he reminded her as he watched her strip down to her underwear before making her way to her closet.

He sighed when she didn't reply and walked to her, placing his hands on her waist and leaning in.

"Jess, I'm not in the mood."

"I can get you in the mood," he said into her ear then placed a kiss on her cheek.

She grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants and walked away from him.

"Why are you acting like this?" he asked, watching her get dressed.

"What, I can't say no to sex?" she asked as she slipped her sweatpants on.

"You know that's not what I mean. You're clearly mad at me for some reason. Tell me what it is so that I can fix it."

She wore her t-shirt then pulled her hair in a ponytail then walked into the en-suite bathroom.

"You can't just ignore me, Bec," he followed her and watched her remove her make up.

"Jesse, nothing is wrong."

"You were upset about something yesterday when you came to the bar to take the key. Now, you're upset with me. Why?"

"Don't you have better things to do?" she walked past him.

"Like what?" he followed her.

"I don't know," she shrugged grabbing her laptop and starting it. "A piece to compose? A movie to watch with your _neighbor_?" she took a seat on the couch.

"Wait, you're mad at me because I watched StarWars with Kate?" he asked in disbelief. He took her silence for a yes. "Beca, I told you, she's a friend. And, she'll always be a friend," he sighed. "Could you please talk back?" he requested, irritated by her silence.

"So, it's not just that!" he concluded, raising his voice a little. "Did your mom say something that changed your mind about me? About us?"

"You know I don't care about what mom thinks of you," she answered without looking up. She didn't know why she was so mad. But she was and him pushing for answers was pushing her buttons.

"Then what is it?" he asked raising his voice even more.

"Don't yell at me!" she snapped.

"You wouldn't talk to me and you expect me to just sit around and be cool about it? You're angry at me and I wanna know what did I do!"

"There's nothing to talk about. Please, leave me alone. I don't wanna fight."

"I'm not leaving. We're already arguing over something that pissed you off and I'm unaware of," he shrugged. "You're acting like a kid and luckily I know how to deal with kids," he said. He knew he was pushing her but at that point all he wanted was to get her to talk.

"Fuck you," she closed her laptop and held it close to her as she walked to her bedroom.

"Oh, you did plenty of that alright," he watched her lock the door behind her.

"Really, Beca?" he rubbed his forehead. "You're just proving my point, you know? You're acting like a freaking teenager!" he intentionally raised his voice higher than he intended. Jesse was getting frustrated and the way she was behaving was starting to get on his nerves. "Sorry for yelling," he apologized, clearing his throat.

"Beca, c'mon. Let's talk about whatever this is," he sighed, resting his hand on the wall, facing her bedroom. "Beca—" he looked up when she unlocked the door and frowned noting the tears that were building up in her eyes. A beat went by as they look at each other in silence. She was on the verge of tears. And, he was feeling guilty, thinking that the way he yelled was the reason.

"I wanna break up," she finally said.

"What?" he straightened up. "Why? What happened that is bad enough to be a reason we go our separate ways?" he asked, feeling a mixture of confusion, anger and fear. He was afraid of loosing her.

"Jesse, let's be reasonable. We hardly see each other— your fucking neighbor gets to hang out with you more than me," she wiped her cheek. "You're wasting your time with me since I'm leaving. So, we should just end things now," she shrugged.

"No," he shook his head. "We're not breaking up."

"Jesse, I'm breaking up with you. Take a fucking hint and leave," she looked away from him.

"Beca, you can't do this to us. I know you're planning on leaving. I don't care. We work together. I'm trying to spend more time with you—you've settled in in your job, you'll have more time now—Beca, please," he was trying not to break down in front of her but watching her trying and failing at it was making it hard for him to keep it together.

"Jesse, I'm done. We're over," she mumbled and stepped back inside her bedroom, locking the door behind her.

"No. We're not," he said loud enough for her to hear him. "You're not getting rid of me this easily, Beca."

He ran a hand over his face then felt like the walls were closing in on him and had to get out of the apartment to breath. He paced out of her place, making his way to the elevator. He ran out of the building when the elevator reached the ground floor. Sucking in a breath, he looked up at her apartment.

Jesse decided to give her some time before trying to talk to her and knock some sense into her.

* * *

 **AN:** So, um, how can I put this? I found a way to do some plot development and also make 'em fight. Basically I was going to have them fight then make up but then I had a brilliant idea to sorta shoehorn the fight into Beca figuring out her shit without making it look like shoehorning. I hope this brief explanation made sense to you.

Thanks for reading. I hope this was a fine read. I'd like to hear thoughts.

Also, I'll try to get back to updating more frequently but no promises because strange enough I'm busy these days.


	11. Chapter 11

Beca heard him tell her she won't get rid of him easily. She heard the front door slam a few moments later and let the tears, that she'd been blinking back, fall. She walked to her bed, curled up and gave herself permission to cry over him.

She did it. She broke up with him. It was the right thing to do. They wouldn't have worked anyway. She gave it a lot of thought. It had been all she thought about the entire day. Why wait until she would be going back to L.A. when she could just put an end to it earlier and save the two of them a lot of time?

She sniffed wiping her cheek then sat up and forced herself to stop crying after a good hour of sobbing. She convinced herself that puffy eyes wouldn't make the hole she was feeling in her heart disappear to get herself to stop crying. She got out of bed and made her way out of her bedroom. Walking to the kitchenette she realized that she hadn't eaten the entire day and decided to grab a bite despite not having the appetite to eat.

Beca frowned when she reached the kitchenette and found grocery unpacked neatly on the counter and her IPad there as well when she clearly remembered leaving it on coffee table the night before. She reached for the IPad and unlocked it. Finding a Falafel recipe, her favorite food, bookmarked on the internet browser made her feel a rush of tears building up in her eyes and heaviness in her chest. She put the IPad down and rested her hands on the counter. "C'mon," she sniffed, stumping her foot. _No breaking down_ — she closed her eyes feeling the tears.

Blowing a breath, she straightened up, walked to the fridge and pulled ice-cream from the freezer then made her way to the couch and hopped on it, deciding to eat her feelings. She reached for her bag and pulled her cell-phone, ordering pizza.

* * *

 **A couple of days later.**

Jesse was sitting on his sofa, biting his nails as he eyed his phone, debating whether or not to call Beca. He had been sitting there for quite some time, trying to figure out how he was going to get Beca to see that what she did was a mistake. He loved her and as long as there was a chance for them to be together was going to fight for her. Her leaving for L.A. in a year would give him enough time to work on convincing of staying in New York with him _where she clearly belonged, _in his opinion. He wasn't being selfish. They both deserved to be together. But, the fact that he couldn't get a hold of her for two days wasn't helping.

It was the fourth of July and Jesse Swanson had no plans for the day. The few friends he had in New York have invited him to hang out but in his current mood he didn't want to take his very grumpy ass anywhere where people would be happy and positive because he wasn't and he didn't want to be the sad guy in the party, thank you very much. He was fine staying in and being sad all alone.

He teared his eyes from his phone when Bender jumped on the sofa. His dog was desperate for attention and Jesse felt bad for not giving his dog the attention he was seeking and decided to take him out for a walk.

Jesse aimlessly walked Bender around for nearly an hour, making a stop to get a bottle of water for himself when he started to feel thirsty. It was starting to get dark when he returned to his apartment.

He fed Bender then watched him run to his bedroom and guessed he was going to curl up and sleep at the foot of the bed. Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket he pull it and smiled seeing that it was Sandra calling on FaceTime. Tapping to answer the call, he tried to look cheerful when he saw his daughter grin at him.

"Hi, baby. You having fun over there?" She nodded furiously at his question. "That's great," he grinned at her, hoping that his grin looked real.

* * *

She should have stayed at home. Yep, her quiet apartment is way better than the beach house she was at. Despite knowing some of the people at the party thrown by Matt, Beca, all alone, was leaning against a column in the porch, sipping a beer. She was definitely that one guest at every party that looked like they were attending a funeral.

She only decided to go because she needed to get out of the house for another reason than work.

Beca shook the beer then looked at it, realizing it was empty. She straightened up and turned on her heels, making her way to the refreshment table. She forced a smile when Matt jumped in front of her. "You look like you're enjoying yourself," he poked her shoulder with the beer he was holding. "What, you west coast people have a different concept of partying?"

"Matt, you know I'm from Pittsburgh so you should stop this west coast/east coast comparison thing," she turned to the table and picked a coke then looked up, "Do you happen to have any lime in here?"

"There's lime in the kitchen. Follow me," he gestured for her to follow him. Beca picked the bottle of Rum she'd seen on a shelf, a solo cup along with the coke can and followed Matt to the kitchen.

"What's that, rum?" Matt asked pulling a lime for Beca along with a knife.

"Mhmm," she placed the can, rum bottle and the red solo cup on the kitchen island.

"You gonna make rum and coke?"

"Yeah," she accepted the lime and knife from him.

"Wait, I think there's an ice cube tray in here," he opened the freezer. "Yep," he pulled the tray. He dropped some cubes into the cup then chuckled watching Beca carefully cut the lime.

"I'm not good with knifes, shut up," she said feeling his gaze.

"Didn't say anything," he shrugged then walked out of the kitchen, coming back less than a minute later, holding an empty solo cup.

"When did you learn to make rum and coke?" he asked, watching her pour rum into the cup.

"You just mix rum and coke then squeeze lime or lemon or whatever you want into it. It's no rocket science, dude," she shrugged.

"Yeah, but, like, there's a right amount of rum to mix with coke," he took her cup and sipped from it when she squeezed lime into it.

"This is really good," he nodded. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he gestured at her face.

"You just took my cup," she maintained the scowl.

"I got you another one," he shook the empty cup.

She snatched the cup from him and proceeded to make a second one.

"You didn't answer me. When did you learn?" he took another sip.

"A while back," she answered.

"Your boyfriend taught you?" he asked, remembering that Jesse worked as a bartender, and watched her as she momentarily stopped what she was doing then nodded resuming it.

"I _really_ thought you'd bring him tonight," he shook his drink. "Everything alright there?" he frowned hearing Beca let out a heavy sigh.

"Yeah," she looked up and handed him the knife then took her drink in her hand.

"You're awfully distant. You sure you're alright?" he asked throwing the knife in the sink.

"I'm fine," she gave him a small smile. "I should take this back where I found it," she grabbed the rum.

"It's dad's," he told her. "Careful with it," he said watching her walk away.

Beca gulped down some rum and coke after she placed the rum bottle where she found it and walked out of the house, deciding to go for a walk on the beach.

"Jesus Christ," she murmured, hearing Matt call her name. She turned around and waited for him to catch up.

"You went to Barden university, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" she questioned.

"A friend of mine is bringing his friend and she went there. I thought you might be interest in knowing," he shrugged. "You should stick around until she gets here," he added, casually.

"Oh, I'm just gonna go for a walk. I'm not leaving," she told him.

"You're not?"

"There's free booze and people aren't annoyingly forcing me into conversations. Your party rules, man," she bent down and untied her laces before she kicked off her combat boots.

"Would you mind if I joined you?" he asked as he took off his flip flops. "I promise I'll stay quiet."

"I don't mind," she shrugged, turning on her heels.

Matt stayed true to his word and kept his mouth shut as they walked.

They got back to the house at dusk as it started to get dark.

"That's the guy whose friend went to Barden," he nodded at a guy.

Beca looked where Matt nodded, "Holy shit," she said in surprise.

"I'm assuming you know her?"

"Yeah."

"That's great—I'll see around, I need to use the bathroom."

Beca nodded then started to make her way to where they were standing on the porch. She cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Oh my god, Beca!"

"Stacie," Beca smiled, eyeing one of her closest college friends.

"What are you doing here?"

"I actually work with the host of this party. I live in New York—okay," Beca chuckled when Stacie pulled her into a hug and hugged her back.

"I know. I had to hear from Chloe that you moved here—Kevin, this is Beca Mitchell, we went to college together. We were in an A cappella group."

"Hi, nice meeting you Kevin," Beca held the empty solo cup with the same hand she was holding her boots with and shook his head.

"You, too. You did A cappella?" he turned to Stacie.

"We were huge," Stacie said proudly.

"Yep," Beca nodded along.

"Barden— _Barden Bellas_?" Kevin said thoughtfully. "I think I remember your group. Yeah, you preform for the president and one of you showed her vag—"

"—Yep that's us," Beca said to him then turned to Stacie. "What are you doing in New York?"

"I'm here for work."

"Cool."

"Were you down by the beach?" Stacie asked.

"Yeah, I went for a walk," Beca eyed the sand on her feet for a moment. "I should go wash this off."

"You should," Stacie agreed.

"I'll be back," Beca said then started to make her way inside the house. She walked up the stairs, hoping to find a bathroom and ran into Matt.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Sorry for this," she gestured at her feet.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," he waved it off. "The cleaning people will clean the house tomorrow."

"Where's the bathroom?"

"Follow me," he turned on his heels. Beca rolled her eyes because he could have told her instead of guiding her to the bathroom.

"Looks like it's a Barden reunion down there," he said, unlocking the door that led to the bathroom.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I haven't seen Stacie since new year's eve," she told him as she put her combat boots down.

"Oh you haven't met the other Barden graduate?"

"There's another guest that went to Barden?" she stepped inside the bathtub, glancing at him.

"Yeah, I thought you've seen him. Um, he was looking at you and your friend talking. I asked if he knew you he said you went to college together."

"What's his name?" she asked, grabbing the hand-held shower head.

"I didn't ask."

"You don't know your guests names?"

"He's probably here with someone," he shrugged grabbing a towel for her to use and handed it to her when she put the the shower head back where it was. "Thanks," she accepted the towel.

"Barden is a pretty popular college, huh?"

"No, it's just cheap," she stepped out of the tub and proceeded to wear her socks and boots and straightened up after rolling down her jeans.

Reaching the stairs, Matt stopped walking. "That's him," he pointed at a man who was by the refreshment table. Hearing Beca humorlessly and audibly laugh, he looked at her.

"You know him?"

"Yeah, I do," she sighed. "I should go say hi," she said as she started to walk down the stairs.

"Okay," Matt shrugged.

Beca made her way to the refreshment table then said, "hi," to get his attention.

Hearing her voice, he looked up. "Beca Mitchell," he smiled, eyeing her.

"Nick Stuckmann," she clicked her tongue. "How have you been, man?" she asked, not missing the way he quickly checked her out. She glanced at his left hand and saw the mark that a wedding band would leave when you take it off after a long time.

"I've been alright," he shrugged. "You?"

"Amazing."

"I can see that," he chuckled noting her sarcasm.

"How do you know Matt the host?" she asked despite knowing that he and Matt didn't know each other.

"I don't know him but he throws great parties."

"So, you're crushing the party," she concluded.

"Yeah. No one seems to mind," he shrugged. "How long has it been? 5 years?"

"Around that, yeah!" she nodded.

"You aged well," he said sounding impressed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she arched an eyebrow.

"It means you look as beautiful as I remember."

"Thank you," she smiled tightly at him. "How's work?" she asked to change the subject. He's a flirt. The last thing she needed was a flirt. The hole in her heart was too fresh it would take her at least 3 months before she could even consider having a casual fling.

"Work is fine, I work for the government. It's really fun," his words were dripping with sarcasm.

"I bet it is. Accounting sounds like loads of fun."

"Well, right now it's not as much accounting as it is doing budget cuts. What about you? Living the dream?"

"Oh yeah, my life is so amazing right now."

"You're being sarcastic."

"No, it is. I mean, career wise, things are going great."

"I'm sensing a but."

"No but," she shook her head.

* * *

Jesse groaned, throwing his head back as he laid on the sofa. He had just finished talking with his daughter. She was having fun in L.A.. He missed her. It felt weird not to have her over but was glad she wasn't with him because he wouldn't want her to be around him when he's really miserable.

He tossed his phone on the coffee table rubbed his eyes. The really heavy feeling in his chest was unbearable. If he were to describe it he'd say it's like having someone agonizingly slowly and continuously stab him right in the heart.

He truly felt like shit. And, knowing nothing could fix him apart from having Beca back made him feel worse.

Sighing, Jesse got up, deciding to go shower then maybe sleep.

* * *

Nick kept flirting and Beca was getting tired of being polite. She was one step away from exploding in his face.

"Okay, I don't mean to be rude but I think I'm gonna go hang with Stacie now," Beca said, deciding that leaving was the best option.

"I'll see around there. You think we can hang some time soon?"

"Um, maybe," she replied vaguely.

"So, no then," he chuckled. "Beca, I think I know you well enough to see that you're really bored of my company."

"Bored wouldn't be the right way to put it, to be honest."

"Okay, not bored. Annoyed?"

"When did you get divorced?" she asked, nodding at his ring finger.

"We filed for divorce a couple of months ago," he rubbed his ring finger.

"Sorry to hear that," she said apologetically.

"It's okay," he shrugged. "You hate math, how are you handling taxes?" he asked when he saw that Beca was looking around for Stacie.

"Mom does them for me," she told him and rolled her eyes when he laughed.

"I know that I should try to understand how they work, and I will. I just haven't gotten around," she looked back at him.

"Well, I can help you with them. Not like do them for you but help you figure them out so that you wouldn't have your mom do them for you," he had a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Thanks for the offer," she finally said and watched him reach inside his pocket and pull his wallet.

"Here's my card. Call me when you want to learn how to do taxes."

"Thank you," she accepted the card.

"It's great to see you again, Beca," he smiled at her.

"You too," she said then turned on her heels looking around for Stacie.

"Is that—"

"Yes, it's him," Beca nodded cutting Stacie off. "Is he looking over here? I can feel a gaze on me. Is it him?"

"Yeah," Stacie told her. "He's checking you out and he's very obvious about it— anyway, you look like shit, what's going on?" Stacie looked back at Beca.

"I broke up with Jesse," Beca informed her, taking her drink from her.

"Who?" Stacie questioned in puzzlement.

"My roommate. Remember him?" Beca gave her back her drink.

"The flirty dude from Chloe's party, right?" Stacie asked.

"Yeah, him," Beca ran her fingers through her hair then gave Stacie a short version of what had been happened in her love life.

"You need more booze," Stacie said letting Beca take another sip from her drink.

"I can't get drunk," Beca sniffed, pushing back the tears that talking about Jesse brought. "I have work tomorrow, it wouldn't be professional for be to show up hungover."

"Fuck that," Stacie scoffed. "You're hurting and booze fixes things— temporarily— you need to feel better," Stacie squeezed her shoulder. "C'mon, let's get you drunk."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Beca cleared her throat.

"Don't," Stacie said. "I won't let you hook up with Nick," she added, catching Beca glance at him.

"That's comforting." Beca sucked in a deep breath then said, "let's do this." She was damn sure it won't end well because who was she kidding, it's Stacie who's helping her deal with her break up. STACIE CONRAD. Her highly sexually driven friend was helping her mend her broken heart.

"Ohh, let's play beer pong," Stacie said then looked at Beca who just nodded her head.

They lost at beer pong. Beca was good at it but Stacie was purposely losing so that Beca would get drunk.

Next up they played flip the cup. Beca took it personally and won.

She then grabbed a bottle of wine told Stacie to follow her and got on the roof of the house. Stacie was sober so she made sure Beca didn't die as she tried to climb the roof.

"What are we doing here, Beca?" Stacie asked, taking a seat next to her friend.

"Fireworks should start soon," she hiccuped focusing her vision as she checked the time. "We can watch them from here," she brought the bottle to her mouth, taking a sip.

"How are you feeling, captain?" Stacie asked.

"No one has called me that in like 6 years now," Beca chucked. "It feels numb here," she tapped her chest, aiming for her heart.

"Alcohol does that," Stacie nodded.

"It's only been two days and I really miss him," Beca said after a short period of silence. "This really sucks," she wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

"I'm sure it does," Stacie took the bottle from her. "Hey, you think in you're in a low enough place to consider taking part of an orgy?"

"No," Beca chuckled.

"I wasn't kidding. It's fine, though, you've always been a prude anyway," she shrugged.

"I am not a prude," Beca defensively said. She soon got distracted by fireworks when they started.

* * *

Jesse was walking out of the shower when he heard fireworks. He walked to the closest window and looked out of it but thanks to all the building that blocked the view he couldn't see any. He sighed and made his way to his closet, glancing at Bender who woke up and started barking, startled by the noise fireworks made.

He put on a pair of boxers and sweatpants then walked to his dog and tried to calm him down. Jesse sat down on the floor and just hugged his dog when he finally calmed down.

"Oh, Bender," he sighed pulling away. "You think if I dropped by her apartment, she'd let me in?" he asked then nodded when Bender barked.

"You're right, I should give her more time," Jesse scratched the top of Bender's muzzle. "I'll tell her why we can't just break up and she'll see that I'm right," Jesse said then chuckled when Bender rolled over and looked at him with an expectant grin. He started to rub his belly and heard him purr.

"I seriously don't think I can let go of Bec," he told his dog. "She has a point, though, our work hours are different... I'll see if I can get a different shift or get a different job," he shrugged. "I mean this job pays well enough to cover the expenses of Sandra tests and get stuff for the baby," he ran his free hand through his hair. "There are always composing gigs. I should actively look for gigs," he nodded then chuckled to himself, realizing he was talking to himself.

* * *

"Where to?" Stacie asked, watching Beca get on her feet.

"Home," Beca answered.

"You're okay going by yourself? I can get Kevin to give you a ride."

"I'll get an Uber," Beca shook her phone. "I just need to figure out a way to get down there first," she chuckled looking around.

Stacie helped her down and stuck by herself until her Uber arrived.

"We'll hang out later this week, 'kay?" Beca slurred.

"Yeah, totes," Stacie nodded.

On the drive home, Beca rested her head against the window glass, wiping the tears that started to fall. The numbness she was feeling wasn't enough to make her feel better. Well, Stacie tried to help it just didn't work.

Beca played with her keys between her fingers then held the key to Jesse's apartment between her finger. Through her blurry vision, she eyed it then decided then and there that she should go give it back to him. She looked up at the driver and gave him Jesse's adresse.

* * *

Hearing a series of knocks on the door woke Jesse up. He got up and started to make his way to the front door. Jesse rubbed his eyes and unlocked the door. "Beca, what are you doing here?" he asked in surprise.

She stared at hs bare chest for half a second then blinked.

"How did you get in here?"

"Your doorman let me," she slurred. "I came to give this back," she held his key up. "I'll have the few t-shirts you left at my place sent to you, soon," she sniffed. "Also, can I use the bathroom?"

"I haven't seen you this drunk since new year's eve," he said, stepping back. "C'mon in, Beca," he nodded for her to get in. She handed him his key back then walked past him, making her way to his bedroom.

* * *

"Bec, you hungry?" he asked when she walked out of his bedroom. "I have mac and cheese," he told her when she stopped walking.

"Yeah," she shrugged and walked with him to the kitchenette.

He heated a plate then placed it in front of her then made sure she drank enough water and coffee to sober up a little.

"Sorry for waking you up," she apologized hearing him yawn as he washed the plate she ate in.

"It's fine," he stretched after drying his hands.

"So, wanna talk about why you're really here?" he asked, taking a seat next to her.

"I came to give your key back."

"You could have waited until tomorrow to do that. Why now?" he questioned. She shrugged in response.

"Beca, c'mon. Talk to me." Not hearing anything back, he sighed. "Fine. I'll talk. I miss you, a lot. You can't just decided to break up out of no where."

"I can and I did," she said in a breaking voice. "You don't think I hate this? It hurts too fucking much," she wiped her cheeks. "But, that's how it is. We can't get it all—I'm going to go back to L.A. you think you can change that but it's not gonna happen. You know why?" she paused to sniff. "Because even if I somehow decide to stay in New York I'm going to dump you. It's what I do," she shrugged.

"Beca you're not making much sense— Look, if we're not meant to be then be it. But, it's not fair to end what we have without a good reason."

"You still don't understand," she shook her head and got up. "If you really care about me you gotta leave me alone."

"I can't," he shrugged. "I love you, Beca," he reached for her hand, frowning when she started to openly cry.

"You're not going out," he shook his head when she pulled her hand from his hold and enveloped her in his arms. "Don't go," he placed a kiss on her temple, feeling the tears he'd been blinking back start to fall.

"I'll make more time for us. We'll hang out more. I promise that we will," he buried his face in her hair. "Don't go."

"It's not about that," she said into his chest. "I'll hurt you eventually, Jesse," she looked up. "I'll hurt you and end up with a broken heart as well. This is better, believe me, it is."

"How can you say that?" he cupped her face and rested his forehead against hers. "How is this better? How is this better than being together until there's a valid reason to break up?" he closed his eyes, not bearing to look when she removes herself and leaves. He felt her breath then her soft lips against his. He kissed her back, hesitantly, not knowing what she wanted until she ran her hands up his torso then pressed herself against him.

Pulling her close to him, he hoped it wasn't break up sex that she wanted. He just did everything she wanted him to do to her and hoped for the best.

* * *

 **AN:** So, I've been diagnosed with a mild case of Dyslexia very recently. Yep, at 19. It's weird that it took me this long to figure it out considering the really weird learning problems that I have. Anyway, now that I know that they're not weird and have a reasonable explanation behind them, it being just a disorder that I've been coping with for 19 years without even knowing, I feel better about myself. It's sort of a relief. And, this relief has been powering up my creative juices thus this fast update.

It'd be cool to hear thoughts. Thank you all reading.


	12. Chapter 12

Beca had set the coffee machine and was leaning against a wall waiting for it as she scrolled down her unread e-mails.

"I swear you're on your phone more than my niece, and she's 12," Matt said, stepping inside the room.

"I'm going through e-mails," she said without looking up.

"It's called a break room for a reason, you know?" he opened the fridge and pulled a burrito.

Matt was right. It was her break and she shouldn't be working. Beca stuffed her phone in her back pocket then looked at him. Seeing him shaved for the first since she had met him made arch her eyebrows in surprise.

"I've been told I look like a middle schooler without a beard," he chuckled, noting her facial expression.

"You look really weird without a beard."

"I know," he took a bite from his burrito. "I only shaved 'cause mom nicely asked me to."

"Are you going to a 90s themed party?" she asked finally tearing her eyes from his face to look at the clothes he was wearing: an over-sized black t-shirt tucked into Zubaz pants.

"I'm gonna pick up my sister up from the airport and all this is to piss her off." He paused to sallow. "She's, like, a super uptight. It's fun to get under her skin."

"I can relate to that," Beca chuckled.

"You have an uptight bitchy sister, too?"

"No," she shook her head. "Back when I was a freshmen in college, the captain of my a cappella group was uptight and didn't like me," she smiled remembering how she and Aubrey used to butt heads a lot.

"Judging by your facial expression, I guessing you became friends?"

"Yep," she straightened up to get her coffee. "When are you gonna go get your sister?" Beca asked, taking a sip.

"Now," he stuffed the burrito into his mouth.

"I highly doubt you can make it back by the end of lunch hour," she glanced at the time.

"I took the rest of the day off," Matt mumbled.

"Did you?" she took another sip, chuckling when he pulled a pair of Kooks sunglasses with dollar signs printed on them from the fanny he had around his waist and wore them.

"Marketing department doesn't need its director as much A&R, Beca," he said over his shoulders.

It actually does—Beca was going to say but he was already out of the room so she didn't. She walked to the fridge, pulling the sandwich she had brought with her before she took a seat and had it for lunch. It felt weird to be the only one eating lunch at work. She had plans with Stacie for lunch but Stacie had to fly home for a family emergency (her grandmother falling really ill.) so they canceled and she made a peanut butter and Jelly sandwich at home, putting fresh strawberries in it to make it feel healthier than it actually was.

She didn't mind eating alone but the fact that Stacie was going to be out of town for a few days affected other plans they've made.

Beca had a party to attend that night and was going to take Stacie as her plus one. It was Mr. and Mrs. Arthur's thirty-fifth anniversary and she felt obliged to go when Mr. Arthur e-mailed her inviting her to come. He was the man that made her promotion possible when he suggested her name to her boss in L.A. for the job and she was going to take his position in L.A. when he retires in a year.

Beca knew Mr. Arthur's family was based in New York and found it weird how he willingly stayed in L.A. instead of transferring to NYC. She never gave it much thought, though, as it was none of her business.

Attending an anniversary party by herself was going to be interesting. Watching a couple celebrate their love was going to be interesting considering how great things were going for her in that area.

She sighed thinking about her pretty complicated love life and put her sandwich down, chewing slowly then stopping when the events of a certain day came back to her.

It had been 2 months since she had last seen him. He made it harder to walk away because he wouldn't take no for an answer until she did the same thing that got him to move to New York.

* * *

 _ **Two months earlier,**_

 _—Beca's pov._

He was late and I was on time. Who would have thought that I Beca Mitchell would become a more punctual person than Nick Stuckmann.

I didn't know exactly why I accepted to go have a cup of coffee before work with him. I wanted to catch up but I also didn't want to send out the wrong message. I didn't want to get involved with him. A friendship was all I could offer him or any other man at the moment.

"You're late," I deadpanned when he finally made it.

"I'm sorry. Traffic."

I nodded at his excuse. We ordered our coffees then sat down by a table.

We talked about work, his divorce, some embarrassing memories from college. He flirted. I didn't flirt back. He brought up taxes again. I told him that I'll try to find some time for him to help out with them. He tried to flirt again. I played nice until he tried to place a hand over mine.

"Um," I uncomfortably pulled my hand. "I don't think we're on the same page."

"We're not?" he asked, playing dumb obviously. "You told me you broke up with the guy you were seeing, so I thought—"

"—you thought you could jump in and help me get over him? You wanna be my rebound, Nick?" I asked, cutting him off.

"Not your rebound, no. I think you breaking up with your boyfriend, me getting a divorce, and us meeting after all this time has a reason," he sipped his coffee.

"And what's that?"

"Picking up where we left off."

I chuckled at what he said then sighed because: really?

"I sometimes wonder what could have happened if you didn't break up with me when I was graduating."

"I would have broken up with you anyway because my game plan was to move to L.A."

"So you never regretted screwing what we had?"

"No," I shook my head. "We wouldn't have worked out sida college."

"I disagree but it's fine if that's what you think," he put his hands up in defeat. "I strongly believe this is a second chance for us and I'm willing to wait until you ready to get back in the dating pool because we were great and I should have tried harder to change your mind back then."

"I'm headed back to L.A. in a year."

"I have no problem moving there if I have to," he shrugged. "I let you go once. If it got serious, I won't let go, again."

 _Yeah, right._

I glanced at my watch then said, "we should get going."

"I'm not saying let's get back together right away. Just think about it, okay?"

Yeah, that's not gonna happen. I strongly believed that there was nothing for us but I had to get going so I refrained from telling him because it meant more talking and settled for smiling tightly at him then getting up.

"How far is it from here to where you work?" he asked getting up as well.

"Like, 10 minutes," I shrugged. I picked this place so I made sure it was within walking distance from work.

"Cool, I'll walk you there."

We walked in silence which was great then I saw him out of the corner of my eye: he was leaning against a wall facing the label. I've been avoiding him since the fourth of July so it was about time he'd show up at work. He had been trying to get a hold me and I successfully managed to not let that happen but now he's here and I had to do something to get him off of my back for good.

I knew it was low but I did anyway. I had to get him to stop trying to 'win me back' so I kissed Nick and made sure Jesse saw me do it.

"I'll think about what you said," I said pulling away. Nick nodded, smiling. I felt like a total bitch for using Nick and giving him false hope. He had always been nice to me and here I am selfishly using him because last time I pretended I was interested in another man Jesse left.

"Great," he ran his fingers through his hair. "Have a good day, Beca," he added before turning on his heels.

I took a deep breath then continued to walk, pretending I didn't see Jesse. He crossed the street and looked at me expectantly.

"Morning, Beca," he said, looking behind me for a second. And, man did he look hurt.

"I didn't see you there," I lied as I stopped walking, keeping a good two feet between us. He nodded at my lie and I couldn't tell if he knew I was lying or not. He looked hurt and that was all I could see and it made me feel guilty.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"You know what I want."

"Jesse," I sighed.

"Why did you sneak off?"

"you would have made it hard to leave if I waited until you were up. It didn't mean what you think it means."

"No, it actually does. You left because you had second thoughts," he stepped closer to me and I took a few steps back. "We have a great thing— All I can think about is the last we made love and how perfect it was—"

"Jesse, I've had enough of this. It's been two weeks now and you need to stop trying to change my mind. I'm done. We're done. I don't want anything to do with you. I just needed closure," I said with a neutral expression that would made mom proud. "I'm sorry I let it get this far in the first place," I knew the closure part hurt him the most. He was right I did have second thoughts. Him begging me to stay was the reason but he had to leave me alone for his own good.

"That guy you just kissed, you gonna get him hooked then just bail?"

"'That guy' is my ex-boyfriend. We dated throughout college. He asked me to go out with him."

"Does he know you're leaving?"

"Yeah. He said he has no problem following me to L.A. if it got serious," I shrugged.

He sighed rubbing his eyes then looked back at me, "are you going to go out with him?"

"I'm thinking about it, yeah," I nodded, hoping I sounded convincing enough. He stayed quiet for a while, looking up at the buildings around us then cleared his throat and looked back at me.

"Okay," he stuffed his hand in his pocket and pulled a key. "This is yours, I forgot to give it back," he extended his hand. I stepped forward and took the key from him. "I love you and I've tried but you don't want to give us a shoot and I can't force you. I hope you know what you're doing. Goodbye, Beca," he forced a very weak smile. His puppy dog eyes were pushing back tears as he looked at me for a few second. He made me feel like he was trying to look into my soul so I looked away from his gaze and watched him out of the corner of my eye as walked past me.

I should have been glad he was finally off of my back but I wasn't. If I didn't run into the label I would have ran after him.

It was for the best. He had other things to dedicate his time to. I was being mature. I can drag him along then leave. It sure hurt too fucking much and will continue to hurt for a while and that's undeniable. It's gonna take time to get the pain to stop but it'll stop, it always does.

* * *

Beca had finished getting dressed and was sitting on the couch waiting for the Uber to arrive and drive her to. Mr. Arthur's penthouse that's located in Manhattan. She was sure the guestlist was going to be full of fancy people so she cleaned up well. She would have preferred to have her friend go with her but family came first and Stacie loved her grandmother so she wasn't pissed that Stacie had to cancel. Beca figured she'd say hi to the hosts, thank them for the invitation then make a french exist.

"Damn," Beca murmured stepping inside the penthouse, impressed by everything she saw. She took a look around and as expected she didn't recognize anyone she personally knew, they were either family or people too famous for her to dare talk to. She took a glass of champagne then made her way to the huge windows to look at the view when she couldn't spot Mr. Arthur.

"You can actually see the sky from here."

Beca tilted her head recognizing the voice. "Dude, what are you doing here?" she asked as she eyed Matt who had changed from the retro clothes into a really fancy suit.

"I'm a guest, kinda," he smiled at her then looked outside the window.

"You came alone?" he looked around. Beca nodded. "My date had a family emergency," she told him.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well you look really nice in a dress, Ms. Mitchell," he complimented.

"Thank you, Woodward. You look nicer in a suit than you do in Zubaz."

"Zubaz are more comfy, don't hate on them—"

"Ms. Mitchell."

"Mr. Arthur," she replied, turning on her heels and extending her hand. "Thank you for the invitation," she shook his hand, not knowing what else to say.

"Thank you for coming," he smiled warmly at her.

"You and Matthew are close?" he arched an eyebrow.

"We work together," Beca shrugged.

"I know," he glanced up at Matt.

"Excuse me," Matt excused himself.

"I heard you're handling things really well," Mr. Arthur said.

"I'm trying. I haven't signed anyone new. I've been working with what I found."

"That's wise. But you shouldn't miss out on talent because your plate is full."

"Yeah," Beca nodded. "I just haven't really gotten the time to actively scout talent. I have been going through a lot of demos, though."

"Demos are good but watching artists perform is better."

Mr. Arthur spent the next half an hour schooling Beca. She nodded along to the advice he was giving her and took everything he said to heart until a toast interrupted their conversation.

The women giving the toast looked like she was in her early thirties. From her toast, Beca understood that she was the daughter of the hosts of the party. Beca kept watching the woman as she gracefully made her way to her mother then watched Mr. Arthur join them and hug his daughter. It was a nice sight that warmed Beca's heart. She arched her eyebrows when Matt very casually walked to them and briefly shared a hug with Mrs. Arthur.

Wanting to know the nature of Matt's relationship with the Arthurs, Beca stuck around longer than she had intended. Matt disappeared after Mr. Arthur's daughter's speech and Beca felt weird about looking around for him so she just waited to see him. She hoped he didn't bail on the party because that way she'd have to wait until Monday to ask and right then he was a good distraction from her thoughts.

She didn't expect to find Matt hanging in a bathroom when she went to check her make up.

"Were you just sitting here?" Beca asked walking inside and leaving the door unlocked.

"Yep," he peeked his head inside and seeing her stand in front of the mirror he stepped into the bathroom.

"I didn't know you personally knew the hosts," she said, leaning in to fix her eyeliner.

"I never mentioned it," he shrugged.

"Are you guys, like, related or something? 'Cause you and Mrs. Arthur kinda look alike."

"Uh huh," he nodded. Beca turned to look at him for a second then it hit her, "shit, your Mr. Arthur's bratty son he sometimes talked about," she said in realization. "Why do you go by Woodward?" she frowned.

"It's mom's maiden name. I go by it 'cause I'm what you'd call the family disappointment. It's better when no one knows dad is dad."

"You're being harsh on yourself," she looked back at her reflection in the mirror.

"Dad won a shit load of Grammys. Mom is super successful neurosurgeon. My sister started an online clothing company, when her daughter was a year old, that is huge right now in both north America and Europe. I work in marketing and I only got the job because of dad. By our family standards I'm the black sheep."

"You don't even like your job, Matt. How do you expect to be successful at it?"

"In case you haven't noticed yet, I don't like working at all."

"You just haven't found something you like enough to make a career out of it," Beca shrugged.

"Yeah," he said then walked out of the bathroom.

After fixing her make up, Beca stepped out of the bathroom and saw Matt sitting by himself on the stairs. Sighing, she decided to join him.

"If it makes you feel any better, dad is an English lit professor and mom is a lawyer and they both didn't approve of my career choice," she said, taking a seat. "Dad actually made me go to college because 'I need an actual degree before I can go and wast a few years of my life on music'."

"But you're good at your job, Beca. Your parents must be proud of you."

"Yeah they are," she shrugged.

"Dad likes you a lot, you know?" he titled his head to look at her after less than a minute of silence. "He speaks highly of the one and only Beca Mitchell."

"Really?" she asked, stretching out the word.

"Yeah. He said enough great things about you that—" he stopped mid sentence and looked away from her.

"That what, Matt?" she frowned.

"What happened with Jason?" he asked, changing the subject.

"What happened between me and Jesse is none of your business," she patted his shoulder.

"C'mon, I'm dying to know. Did he, like, cheat?"

"No."

"Did you realize that you should have stayed friends because it got awkward?"

She decided to tell him without including much details because he seemed like he wouldn't stop guessing until she told him. "I'm taking your dad's position once he retires which means I'm not staying here. Jesse's life is here. He can't change my mind about staying in New York so it's safe to say that it is pointless to date."

"Wise. And, the New York branch is getting shut down anyway so you'd be outta job if you stay here," he casually said.

"I'm sorry what was that?"

"Oh you didn't know? I thought dad would have told you by now. New York branch hasn't been producing any valuable artists so they're going to shut it and start a new branch in Atanta, I think," he rested his hands on the staircase he was sitting on and leaned back, rotating his neck

"I didn't know—how the hell are you so calm about loosing your job?"

"Please, do I look like I need to work? I'm just working so that dad doesn't lecture me on the importance of making a living."

"What about your friends who are going to be out of jobs? You're friends with everyone in marketing, right?"

"Of course I care. And, yes they're my friends. But what can I do to stop it?" he looked at her.

"There's like 35 people who are going to become unemployed," she said, estimating the number of her co-workers.

"Yep," Matt nodded.

"You think there's any chance to not let it happen?" she asked.

"If our branch produces Grammy worthy music then it could maybe delay the shut down," he shrugged.

Beca nodded at his words because they made sense.

"You're not gonna try and save the day are you?" he asked amused.

"I'm gonna try to save some jobs," she replied irritated by his amusement.

"That's ambitious. Good luck," he curtly nodded.

"I don't need luck," she told him and heard him chuckle.

"You're, like, dad's lost child, you know?" he loosened his tie.

"Your dad and I share similar personality traits, huh?"

"Yeah. Except dad would never give up on his loved ones," he said and watched Beca frown before she looked away from him.

"You know, my parents met in college, right?"

"Yeah, your dad was in premed then gave up on that to follow his dream."

"Mom pushed him to leave because music is what drives him. They broke up because neither one of them wanted to pursue a long distance thing 'cause they thought it was pointless since he was going to stay in L.A. and she's based in New York."

"How did they get back together?" Beca asked.

"Mom was visiting her friend in California, they got back in touch. He realized that she was the one for him, after she left for New York, and that they wasted a lot of time by not trying to make it work in the first place and letting the distance be an obstacle. So they got back together even though he was still working in L.A. and kept flying back and forth between L.A. and New York for mom. They stayed together even though sometimes they'd spend months without seeing each other. But growing up dad never missed an important event. He and mom are a pretty damn good team and they worked through the distance."

"That's really admirable."

"I know," he agreed. "A pain in the ass but really admirable."

"Well, when you find the one you'd do anything to stay with them, I guess." As the words left her mouth she felt like a hypocrite because she didn't try to apply what she just said.

"So, Jason isn't the one?" he arched an eyebrow.

"It's Jesse," she corrected absentmindedly as she turned thoughtful.

She lived with Jesse for four months back in L.A. he was the fastest friend she had, even faster than Chloe.

He was a very wonderful friend and roommate to her. Always seemed to know how to cheer her up with his weirdness and the way too laid back attitude he had.

When she finally realized her feelings for him weren't platonic she couldn't act on them because he had to be close to his daughter, she made sure he left because it wouldn't be right to let him pick her over his kid.

She spent six months trying to move on but couldn't. She couldn't stop loving him even though they didn't technically date, they just spent a week together after he asked for it and she agreed to even though she knew it wouldn't do them any good.

When she got to New York she didn't think twice before getting into something with him despite knowing deep down that it was wrong to get involved when she wasn't staying. But she couldn't help it. She's very much in love with him.

She had a thing for calling it quits with men she dated but what if her mother's wrong about Jesse? Maybe she could find some way to stay with him like the Arthurs did if he's willing to roll with the distance?

She had never been this deeply in love before in such short period of time: In her previous relationships it took time for her to get past the attraction phase to actual love but with Jesse it was different. If she were being honest, she can't pinpoint the exact moment she fell for him.

That nerd found his way into her heart and she gave up on him yet somehow got another chance and she managed royally fuck up.

 _Shit, is Jesse the one?_ —Beca wondered.

"I have to go see Jesse," she mumbled, getting up.

"Need a ride?" Matt got up as well. "It'll take a while for an Uber to get here," he added.

"Yeah, you're right," she nodded. "I could use a ride."

"Reuniting lovers," Matt sighed as he took her lead when she started to walk down the stairs, "I think I found my calling," he said sarcastically.

* * *

 **AN:** As always, thank you for reading.

A review would be nice.


	13. Chapter 13

"Why don't you have a car?"

"Subways are more practical to get around in New York," Beca answered as she bit her nails.

"Good point there," Matt nodded. "But when you know your ways around the city you don't get stuck in traffic jams."

Beca sat up when Matt took the turn that led to the street Jesse lived on.

"I shouldn't be here," she murmured once he pulled over.

"Cool. Let's get out of here then," Matt started the car again.

"Wait," she put her hand on his arm. "He's probably going to shut the door in my face but this is right... right?" she watched Matt rub the back of his neck. "C'mon dude I need advice and you're here so you're going to tell me what should I do. You told me about your parents, it's your fault that I'm here!"

"You should go. You might regret not trying. And, regrets suck. I'll be here in case it didn't go well and you need a ride home," he said as he stared ahead of him, shutting the car's engine. "Good luck," he tilted his head to look at her.

"Told you I don't need that," she let out a nervous chuckle then unlocked the door.

Walking to the building she knew she was going to get a door shut in her face but the Arthurs gave her hope. It doesn't have to suck if he's willing to compromise. They could make it work. Then he might follow her to L.A when his kids are old enough which will be in years. But if he's the one for her, she was to going roll with the distance.

It sounded easier said than done but the Arthurs did it.

Exhaling loudly, Beca pushed the button to ring Jesse's bell and waited. She smiled when the doorman came into her vision to unlock the door for her.

"Long time no see, Ms. Mitchell," he smiled at her.

"Yeah," she eyed the middle aged man. "How are you, Isaiah?" she asked.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking." Isaiah locked the door behind them. "The buzzers are broken," he informed her. "I haven't seen Mr. Swanson get out so he's home."

"Thanks," Beca nodded at his words. "Good seeing you," she said then started to make her way to the elevator.

"You too," he watched her until she stepped inside the elevator.

 _Yeah, I should have thought this through—_ Beca thought as she stood in front of Jesse's apartment after knocking a couple of times.

What were they going to talk about in the middle of the night after two months of radio silence?

She told him to leave her alone and he did.

 _What if he moved on?_

 _Yeah, I should have called first—_ Beca took a step back then turned on her heels and started to make her to the elevator. Hearing a door get unlocked she paced and hid in the the first turn she found which led to the staircase.

"I swear I heard someone knock," she heard Jesse's voice.

"The movie is pretty loud you probably imagined hearing it."

Beca closed her eyes when she heard his neighbor Kate talk.

"You're probably right," he shrugged. "Hey, I'm gonna go get more popcorn. I'll be back in a few."

"Okay. Well, let yourself in."

"Yeah," Jesse unlocked the door to his apartment.

Beca waited until he was back in Kate's apartment before she walked to the elevator and quickly got out of the building. She paced to Matt's car and got in. Matt took one look at her then started the car and drove off.

"Um, Beca where do you live?" Matt asked after 15 minutes of silence. Without a word, Beca leaned forward and typed her adresse into the GPS.

"So, what happened?" he asked.

"Nothing," Beca sighed. "I changed my mind. Like you said earlier, it's a pain in the ass," she shrugged, recalling his words at the party when they talked about his parents long distance relationship.

Matt nodded, concentrating on the road.

* * *

Jesse forgot to lock the window in the living area and it looked like it was going to rain so he went back to his apartment and walked straight it. It was late but he was able make out a shape of a woman pacing to a car parked not far from where he lived. He rested his hands on the window and leaned forward, trying to get a better look.

 _It can't be her_.

 _What would she be doing here?_

 _Could it be her that was knocking?_

He leaned back and closed the window after watching the car drive off. The buzzers were broken so if she got in it Isaiah would have let her in.

Jesse couldn't wait until the morning to ask Isaiah. He had to know if he imagined the knocking on the door and if it's Beca that he saw.

"Hey, man," Jesse said spotting the doorman.

"Mr. Swanson."

"Jesse, please," Jesse had been living there for over 9 months and the man wouldn't drop the formality.

"I hope it wasn't a problem that I let Ms. Mitchell in?" the doorman asked. He had seen Beca when she paced out of the building.

"Beca was here?" Jesse's question sounded like a statement. "I knew it's her," he scratched his stubble.

"Yeah. The doorbells are broken so—"

"It's totally fine that you let Beca in," Jesse interrupted him, hearing the apologetic tone in the man's voice.

"Good night," he smiled at him then turned on his heels, turning thoughtful as he walked.

 _What does she want from me after two months? She's wearing a dress and heels, from where did she come? Who's driving?_

He had too many questions that could only be answered by one person: Beca.

Jesse finished watching the movie with Kate absentmindedly then went back to his place, still lost in his thoughts and the many questions he had for Beca. Questions that had to wait until he ran into her or if she decided to come see him because he had some dignity after all. He spent two weeks trying hard to make her see how wrong it was to break up but as far as he knew she was moving on with her college boyfriend and was _it_ for him.

It would become pathetic if he kept following her around while she was dating someone else.

For the past two months he tried to stop thinking about her and wanting her but he's been there before and knew it wasn't going to work so he kind of made peace with the fact that his feelings for her weren't going to fade anytime soon.

* * *

 _ **A week later**_

It was becoming a habit of Beca's to stay at least an hour after everyone had left work. She barely had a social life anymore. She was trying to minimize her human interactions so that she wouldn't get attached to anyone before going back to L.A.

She was listening to a demo when Matt barged into her office.

"Why are you still here?" she asked, pausing the song and taking off an earbud from her ear.

"I came back for you."

His words made her arch an eyebrow.

"It's the weekend. I'm taking you out for drinks," he said.

"Thanks but no thanks," she wore back the earbud.

"Look, I didn't want to tell you this but," he walked to her and took off the earbud from her ear, "people at work are starting to wonder."

"About what?" she watched him rest his hands on her desk and lean in.

"You. You're more distant that the usual. You check in first and leave last. I think I heard someone say you got some sort of disease," he grimaced.

"Yeah, it's called being antisocial."

"C'mon Beca. I'm buying."

Beca glanced at the time and seeing that it was 6:30 pm, she sighed. "Okay. I'll buy my own drinks, though."

"I insist," he straightened up. "Morgan's?" Beca said as she gathered her stuff.

"Yeah," he nodded then remembered Jesse still worked there. "We can go somewhere else if you want."

"It's the closest bar to work," she shrugged. There's that and the fact that she had been there enough times to know that since school year had started Jesse worked lesser shifts at the bar. Matt nodded at her words then started to make his way out.

They walked to the bar since it was a few blocks away.

* * *

Getting inside, they weren't surprised by how crowded it was.

"We can go somewhere else," Matt when he followed Beca's gaze and saw who she was looking at.

"No," she titled her head. "No need for that. C'mon let's find the others."

Morgan's bar was their co-workers hangout place. "They're here, right?"

"Yeah," Matt nodded, looking around. "There," he pointed at them and started to walked their way.

Beca followed him, resisting the urge to glance at the bar when she felt a gaze on her. She had a pretty good guess as to who was looking at her. "Hey, Matt, what are you having?"

"I'll start with a Manhattan," he shrugged.

"Cool, I'll go get us drinks," she told him then started to make her way to the bar.

Standing by the bar, Beca took a moment to take in Jesse's apparence: Still the same yet looked like he lost some weight. She felt happy just looking at him smile at something a costumer say. She was staring at him and hoping no one would notice. The staring didn't last long because of a tapping on her shoulder. She tilted her head and found a guy sitting on a stool and smiling at her. He was easy on the eye, she'll admit that much, and he looked drunk.

"Hey," he greeted, taking a sip from his drink. She smiled tightly then looked back ahead of her, glad that Marcus, the bartender, had come to take her order. It saddened her a little that Jesse wasn't the one taking her order.

"What's your name, beautiful?" he asked. She ignored him. "C'mon, tell me your name and let me buy you a drink," he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Beca shrugged off his hand then tilted her head, "thanks for offering but no."

"Fine, no hands," he chuckled putting his hand up.

"Let me guess what you're ordering and if I'm right I'll buy it... Martini?"

Beca shook her head.

"You're into strong booze?" he eyed her from head to toe.

"Dude, I appreciate the offer but I can buy my own drinks."

"I wanna get to know you over a drink that I pay for then we see where w go from there," he winked.

"I'm not interested."

"C'mon, just one drink, babe."

"You heard her. She's not interested," Jesse said and Beca tried not to show any sign that she was happy that Jesse decided to acknowledge her.

"You shut up until I ask for a drink, okay?—even then you just nod and take my order."

Jesse chuckled and nodded at his words before shifting his attention to Beca.

"What can I get you?" he asked her. His tone wasn't harsh nor friendly. It was indifferent.

"A Manhattan and a pint of beer, please."

Jesse nodded at her order then started making the Manhattan.

"Put her order on my tab."

Jesse looked up for a second at Beca who was getting irritated.

"I told you I can buy my own drinks. I'm flattered but no, thank you."

"What are so cocky about? You should be glad I noticed your ugly ass, bitch."

"Yeah, you're getting out now," Jesse put down the drink he was making. " _Sir_ , you're becoming a disturbance so I'm gonna ask you to leave," Jesse rested his hands on the counter. "Don't make me _escort_ you out there."

"Who do you think you are?" the man stood up and pulled Jesse from his t-shirt, clenching it.

"You don't wanna do this, man," Jesse said, trying to remove himself. He really didn't like fighting.

"What are you gonna do, punk?"

Jesse managed to get himself from his hold then walked around the counter. "You need to leave," Jesse said and noting how he glanced down at Beca, he put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back.

What happened next was too fast for Jesse to register: Beca was telling him to back off and that she was fine and didn't need his help. He was going to start arguing with her when he felt a hand grab him and slam his head against the edge of the counter.

"Oh my god!" Beca said watching Jesse lose consciousness. "Asshole," she looked up at the man responsible for it and didn't think twice before she punched him.

"You crazy bitch," he exclaimed in pain. He said other things that she didn't quite hear as he got dragged out of the bar. Beca shifted her attention to Jesse, ignoring the throbbing pain in her hand.

"Jesse," she patted his cheek then lifted his head holding it with both her hands then frowned feeling warmness in one of her hands. Her eyes widened when she pulled her and and saw that it was covered in blood. He wasn't completely out and that reassured her a little.

"Holy shit," Matt said, rushing to her side. "You sucker punched him."

"He's bleeding. Matt where did you park?" she asked, looking up to meet Matt's gaze. It was Friday night she didn't want to wait for an ambulance since Matt bragged about how he could get around even when there's traffic.

"It's down the street. I'll go get it," he nodded and ran out of the bar.

The other bartender rushed to her side, helping her get Jesse to stand. "Thanks," she glanced at Marcus as he supporting Jesse's weight.

* * *

When you only had a shot of vodka and you wake up with a headache something is definitely wrong.

"Where am I?" Jesse held his head, waking up.

"The hospital," Beca curtly answered. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Like I've been hit to the head by a baseball bat," he rubbed his eyes getting off of the bed. "Easy," she reached for his arm and held it to keep him from falling.

"D'you remember what happened?" she asked, helping him sit down. He took a moment then nodded.

"Good," she got up. "I'm gonna go get a doctor," she started to make her way out of the room.

She came back less than a minute later with a doctor. He checked Jesse's vitals then sent him home with painkillers and told him to come back to the hospital in 10 days to get the four stitches removed.

"How did we get here?" he asked. "Taxi?"

"No, Matt drove us here," she told him as they walked. "He offered to wait until you woke to drive you home but I know you don't like him so I declined the offer."

"Good call."

On the way to the subway station Jesse noticed Beca's swollen hand and stopped her from walking by gently taking her hand in his.

"Yeah, I forgot to tell you. I punched that asshole."

"It looks bad," he ran his fingers over her knuckles.

"Looks worse than it feels," she shrugged.

"This is your fault, you know?" he let go of her hand.

"My fault?" she arched her eyebrows.

"Yeah, the whole thing," he nodded. "If you would have stepped back and let me handle it he wouldn't have had the drop on me," he continued to walk.

"Well, if you just minded your own business in the first place, nothing would have happened."

" _Well_ , he was being a rude to a costumer I can't let him act like that in the bar. He had to leave."

 _Good point—_ Beca paced to catch up with him. They continued to walk in silence.

Jesse broke the silence after they got in a subway and missed her stop. "Beca, you missed your stop," he said.

"I'm gonna make sure you get home safe then head back to my place. I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't listed as an emergency contact—you should update your emergency contacts," she looked up from her hand, feeling a need to explain why she stayed with him even though it was the obvious thing to do. "Benji is on there and he's more than 1400 miles away."

"Why didn't you get something for your hand?" he asked, eyeing her hand.

"I was busy worrying about you to do something about my hand."

He nodded satisfied with her answer then looked out of the window for the rest of the trip.

* * *

"The doctor said you don't have a concussions or anything bad but if the headache gets bad you should go get it checked," Beca said once they reached his apartment complex.

"I will," he nodded. "Sorry for ruining your evening," he apologized.

"You'd do the same," she shrugged.

Confident that he knew her well enough to understand her body language, Jesse extended his arms and pulled her in a hug. She looked like she wanted to hug him but was hesitant so he did it for her. He was surprised by how tightly she hugged him but didn't voice his surprise, instead he hugged her back as tightly. "Be careful, Jesse," she loosened her hold, stepped back and turned on her heels.

"Beca, wait," Jesse called then paced after her.

"Yeah?" she tilted her head.

"Um, wanna come up? We can have some tea and get you some ice for your hand."

"I don't know," Beca started to say but was cut off by Jesse. "—I just wanna properly thank you. That's all."

"By inviting me to your apartment to drink tea?"

"Yeah," he nodded. He wanted to ask her a lot of questions but it didn't feel right to ask them on the way. A mug of tea and cookies sounded like a better setting.

"Okay," she hesitantly agreed. He didn't bring up their past and that was good sign? She didn't know what to make out of what was happening.

"How are Sam and Sandra and the baby?" Beca asked.

"They're good," he shrugged unlocking the door.

"Did you find out the sex of the baby?"

"Yeah. We're having a boy," he smiled to himself. "I know that I said I didn't want him but now, only five months away, I honestly cannot wait to meet him."

"That's nice," she smiled when he looked at her.

* * *

"I made these earlier today," he placed a plate full of cookies on the coffee table then rushed back to the kitchenette and came back holding a resealable food storage bag that had carrots in it. "For your hand," he handed it to her.

"Thanks," she took it and placed it over her knuckles as he walked back to the kitchenette. She played for a while with Bender until Jesse came back with two mugs of tea and handed her one.

"So you struck a deal with the owner despite your job at the school?" Beca asked when Jesse sat down next to her.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I wasn't supposed to be working tonight but Mae asked me to cover for her," he grabbed a cookie then glanced at Beca when she unzipped her leather jacket.

"Is that my blood?" he asked noting the blood stains on her shirt.

"Yeah," she sighed and looked down at her shirt. "Blood stain is hard to get off of upholstery: I didn't want to ruin Matt's car so I let you bleed on me," she shrugged.

"You should go clean up."

"I'll clean up when I'm home. You got blood all over you neck. I'm sure it made its way down your back," she said looking at his neck.

"Really?" he tried to look over his shoulder and at his back.

"Yeah, you should probably shower," she said when looked back at her.

"I will," he took a sip from his mug. "Hey, Beca, can we talk about the last time you came here—"

"—Jesse."

"—I'm not talking about the night you got your closure," he turned to face her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she mumbled, taking a bite from the cookie.

"Beca, Isaiah told me he let you in. And, I saw you. I saw you through the window you were pacing a car in heels so you can't tell me you were drunk and don't remember. Why did you come?"

"Tea's great," she put the mug on coffee table, "and so are the cookies. I'm gonna get going now," she said as she got up.

"It's all I've been thinking about the whole week. Just tell why so I can go back to trying to forget about you in peace," Jesse rubbed his eyes.

"Matt told me about his parents," she started to say and watched as he looked up and waited for her to keep talking. "They've had a long distance thing for a lot of years and despite the odds they're still together. It's really stupid how it got me worked up and before I knew it I was knocking on your door."

"That's why you came here?" he frowned. she nodded then put the food storage bag down, avoiding eye contact. "You came in the middle of the night to ask me if I'd get into a long distance relationship with you?"

"Dude, I told I know that it's stupid and it hit me when I got to your door. It's a lot to ask from you especially since I broke up with you and we haven't talked in two months."

"It is a lot," he agreed. "And very selfish," he added. "Do you ever stop to think of what you're doing or do you just fucking wing it with everything?"

"Okay, you're being an ass right now," she watched him get up.

"Yeah. I know I am." he nodded. "I asked if you'd have a long distance relationship with me before coming here in the first place. You said no, which is fine. I begged you to stay with me and you used me to get _closure_ then left. I swallowed my pride and chased you around because I truly thought you're worth it and what did you do? You went out with your college boyfriend!"

Beca watched him as he struggled to keep his voice even and not yell at her but the way his knuckles turned white were enough for her to see how angry he was.

"Not waiting until I got the door was a great call."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for dragging you along and dumping you but you're not better than me, Jesse. You just had to keep on pushing me until I did things I'm not proud of because you can't accept how things are." She took a few steps back when he stepped forward. "There was no closure," she shrugged, "I lied to get you off my back. Nick asked me out and told me he'd wait until I'm ready. I only kissed him because I knew it would make it seem like I moved on," she told him. He called her selfish which wasn't wrong but he didn't seem to see how selfish he was as well. "We had spend a week together when you suggested a long distance relationship. It would irrational to pursue one simply because we fell for each other. So, no, Jesse, I don't just fucking wing it." She walked backward when he took a few steps forward and softened his expression.

"You're right, I did make the right decision by backing out and not waiting until you showed up. Who am I kidding? We can't work even if we tried," she shook her head then turned on her heels, making her way to the front door.

* * *

 **AN:** Be honest, did you expect a lovey dovey reunion? I hope this one entertaining enough. I'd like to hear thoughts and what d'you think is gonna happen next.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:** I think the content is mature enough for the chapter to be considered an M rated chapter. So, yeah, this chapter is M rated.

Please note that this is the second time I ever attempted to write mature shit but this time is lengthier but also necessary. I wouldn't have written sex stuff if they weren't important plot-wise. Don't be dicks about how I'm not good at it, that would be super dope of you.

Enjoy and leave your thoughts.

* * *

Jesse woke up with a throbbing headache and to the sound of his phone ringing. He rubbed his eyes before he looked at his phone to see who was calling then answered seeing that it was his ex-wife.

"Hey," he spoke in a raspy voice, placing a hand over his eyes. He wasn't sure if the headache was because he's hungover or because of the stitches in his head.

 _"Did you just wake up?"_ she asked.

"Yeah—shit, I'm sorry," he sat up, "I'll be there in 20—30 minutes."

Jesse couldn't believe he forgot that he was taking his daughter to the zoo, something he was looking forward to the whole week.

 _"Please don't take more than half an hour."_

"Yeah, yeah, I know you have plans," he got up and stumped his toe on the edge of the coffee table and bit his tongue to keep himself from cursing out loud.

He spent the night working on a new piece (and drinking). Fighting with Beca had one upper: getting inspired. Composing helped him cope with how he was feeling.

 _"See you in half an hour, Jesse."_

"Yep," he hung up the phone and threw it on the sofa.

Jesse made his way to the bathroom, dropping his t-shirt in the hamper on his way. He stood in front of the mirror, giving it his back to get a better look at the blood Beca talked about and saw that she was right. He quickly showered and brushed his teeth, ignoring his headache, then headed out after wearing a cap, to hide the stitches from Sandra, and sunglasses because he was really hungover.

Jesse ran the distance between the subway station and Sandra's apartment because he was already late and she had somewhere to be. "Man, do I need to work out," he coughed, resting his hands on his knees when he reached her apartment complex. He pulled his phone and texted her that he made it then waited.

"Hey," he grinned and regretted it because it made his head hurt more when his daughter ran up to him. He picked her up and hugged her tightly. "Hi," he put Sam down and turned to his ex-wife, placing his hand on her belly to feel their baby. "He wrestling in there yet?"

"Not so much action but he did wake me up a bunch of times last night," she sighed, pulling her car keys.

"Guess, he just wants attention," Jesse took his daughter's hand. "I'll get her back around 7," he nodded at Sam.

"I can drop you off by central back," she offered.

"What about your plans?" he asked.

"I'm already late," she sighed.

"I'm sorry," he apologized for ruining her plans.

"Central park is on my way," she shrugged.

"I'll drive," he extended his hand for her to give him the keys.

* * *

Beca was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling. She did a little work, looked up bars that have artists performing to scout some talent, (She really needed to sign someone good enough to save the branch.) then decided to take a break. She had a lot on her mind and working wasn't distracting her anymore. She glanced at her laptop hearing someone calling her on FaceTime. She smiled seeing that it was Chloe and reached for her laptop and answer the call.

 _"Beca!"_ Chloe beamed at her friend.

"Hey," Beca greeted, stretching the word as she rested her elbow on the bed to support her weight.

 _"How's New York treating you?"_ Chloe asked.

"New York is treating me fine," Beca shrugged. "How's L.A.?"

 _"Still the same,"_ she answered her. _"You know you've became a shitty friend, right?"_

"What did I do?" Beca arched an eyebrow

 _"We don't talk anymore. I wanna be involved in my best friend's life even though you're in a different timezone."_

"I'm really busy, that's all," Beca sat up and placed her laptop on her lap.

 _"Yeah, well, I miss you and I hate that I don't know what you're up to. You don't even tweet anymore."_

"I miss you too. And, I'm really busy to use social media."

 _"Well, you're clearly not doing anything now since you're laying in bed."_

"I was doing things before you called," Beca said then chuckled humorlessly at the look Chloe gave her. "I was working," she clarified.

 _"If you said you were with your boyfriend I would have forgave you for being a bad friend. Where is Jesse by the way?"_

"I don't know," Beca shrugged. "And he's not my boyfriend anymore. We broke up."

 _"What happened?"_ Chloe frowned.

"I really don't wanna talk about it."

Chloe eyed her for a few seconds then sighed, _"fine."_

"How's Tom?" Beca asked.

 _"He's great. We've been talking about buying a house."_

"That is awesome!"

 _"There's more,"_ Chloe smiled.

"What?"

 _"We're thinking of starting of starting a family."_

"Oh my god!"

 _"I know."_

"Holy shit. You want to have a baby."

Chloe nodded.

"When did this happen? I mean this is great news but I'm pretty sure you said you're not in a hurry."

 _"Yeah, I said that 2 years ago when Tom and I had just gotten married."_

"Hold on a second Chloe," Beca reached for her phone from the nightstand when it rang.

 _"What's wrong?"_ Chloe asked, noting the frown on Beca's face.

"Nothing," Beca said before answering the unknown number.

"Hello?" she said.

 _"Am I speaking to Beca Mitchell?"_

"This is she."

 _"I'm nurse Stevens, calling from interfaith medical center. I'm calling to inform you that Mr. Swanson has been in a traffic collision..."_

 _"Beca, What's wrong?"_ Chloe asked, seeing that her friend had a blank look on her face as she listened to the other person on the line.

"Chloe, I have to go," Beca said hanging up the phone. "Um, Jesse has been in an accident," she hopped off of the bed and grabbed her converse.

 _"They called from the hospital?"_

"Yeah."

 _"Oh my god, what happened?"_

"Apparently they got hit by a truck," Beca answered, grabbing her laptop.

 _"They?"_

"Jesse was with his daughter and ex-wife— I have to go." Beca didn't wait to hear what Chloe had to say before she closed her laptop and raced out of her apartment.

* * *

She couldn't really focus on what the nurse was saying after the word traffic collision. She wasn't sure how she got to the hospital because her mind was going a mile a minute.

Rushing into the emergency room, Beca raced to the reception and asked about them. She ran to the room the nurse told her Jesse was at. A nurse was stitching his head and he was quietly staring into nothing with an odd look on his face.

As she waited for the nurse to finish redoing the stitches he got the night before, a doctor came in and filled her in on what had happened after she told him she's Jesse's girlfriend. He told her that a truck ran a light and Jesse didn't see it because he had a case of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) due to the fact that he hadn't eaten anything for almost 24 hours and it made him light headed. Sam didn't get hurt thanks to being in strapped in her seat in the back seat of the car. Jesse had hurt his head again and had to redo the stitches: he didn't get hurt because the truck came from the right. He lucked out physically but Sandra didn't. The car ran into the passenger seat where she was seated causing her to have a miscarriage and dislocate her shoulder.

Beca went to take care of the paperwork for Jesse, Sandra and Sam when a couple of cops came to talk to Jesse and found that one of Sandra's friend, Mary, was already on it. Beca helped fill Jesse's paperwork then went to see Sandra before she took Jesse home. It took everything in her not cry at sight she found. Sandra had the same odd look Jesse had but unlike him she was silently crying.

Standing in front of the bed, Beca took a moment before she could talk, "I'm really sorry for your lost."

Sandra nodded at her words and continued to stare into nothing.

Beca didn't know what else to say so she walked out of the room. Sandra didn't really like her so she was sure her face wasn't something she'd want to see in a time like that. Mary told her that she had taken Sam away and that her boyfriend was babysitting her until her mother could see her so she took care of discharge paper for Jesse then made her way to his room to take him home. When she got there the cops had left.

"Jesse?" she called when she stood in front of him and he didn't acknowledge her. "C'mon, Jesse, I'm taking you home," she extended her hand. He took her hand and got up. She knew he was in shock and felt useless because she had no idea how to help.

* * *

Stepping inside his apartment, Jesse rested his hand on a wall then clenched his fist before he punched the wall.

"I'm so sorry Jesse," Beca said apologetically

"He's gone and it's my fault," he said, resting his head against the wall

"Jesse, it's not your fault," Beca grabbed his arm and turned him to face her.

"I was driving when I shouldn't have. I was late—If i had shown up on time, nothing would have happened. It's my fault."

Looking between his eyes and pouting lips, Beca thought of one way that could comfort him so she went for it.

She kissed him tenderly and he responded with hungrier kisses.

"Beca," he called between kisses and it sounded like a plea. She nodded and walked him to his bedroom and pulled away to lock the door then kicked off her converse. With what she had in mind, Bender getting jealous and barging in on them was a no-no. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder and unbuckled his belt then lowered his jeans. She was in sweatpants so it was quicker to get rid of them.

She sat him down then sat on his lap, pressing her lips against his. He was hurting both physically and emotionally and she wanted help ease the pain a little. She made out with him until she was wet enough to not hurt herself before she reached under his boxer briefs and freed his erection, stroking it, making sure he was ready too.

"Are still on birth control?" Jesse asked, resting his forehead against Beca's and making her humorlessly laugh before she nodded. "Are you sure about this?—I did kill my—" he didn't get to finish his phrase when Beca pressed her lips against his, kissing him passionately.

She got up, quickly, removing her panties while he kicked off his shoes, jeans and boxers then sat back on his lap, positioning herself from him and inhaling deeply as she lead him inside her. More than two months without action made it an overwhelming experience. She took a moment before they got into a rhyme, a slow one.

He tried to take off her t-shirt but she didn't let him. He wanted to help her get off. And even though she needed it she didn't let him. It was about him and helping him cope with what he was going through. She knew sex would comfort him so she gave it to him.

"Why?" he asked, frowning.

"This isn't about me," she answered.

Jesse placed his hands on her waist to keep her from moving as he held her gaze. "Either you let me help you get off or you literally get off of me right this second."

Instead of using words to answer, Beca took off her t-shirt and unhooked her bra. She wanted to comfort him and if giving in was going to help she wasn't going to oppose.

He took a few seconds, eyeing her before he held her up, removing himself from inside of her and leaving her feeling empty. Jesse laid her down on the bed then straightened up to take off his t-shirt, wincing as he threw it away. Beca frowned watching him swallow the pain then lean down, resting his elbows on the bed and positioning himself on top of her after he threw a bed sheet over them. She ran her fingers over his shoulder, noting the bruise that went from his shoulder to his chest and recognizing it as the bruise that the seat-belt caused when it pulled him back when the other car ran into them.

She leaned up, placing light kisses on the bruise, going down his chest. Jesse forcefully kissed her head then temple before finding her lips when she looked up. They kissed slowly yet passionately while he massaged her breasts before he pulled away and gave her breasts more attention. She felt bad because it felt good to have his hands and mouth on her while he was suffering. Hearing her sniff he looked up.

"You okay?" he asked, stroking her cheek. She nodded, wiping her cheek.

"Yeah, but you're not."

He gave her a very weak smile. "I'm enjoying this," he leaned up and kissed her deeply. "I really am," he placed a quick peck on her lips "Thank you for giving me yourself," nuzzled her cheek.

"Now let's get you off, shall we?" he asked, trying to come off as enthusiastic about it as he could but Beca could hear how much he was hurting.

He really knew how her body worked because she responded the simulations his fingers were doing without needing any direction from her and threw her over the edge. As she recovered from her orgasm, he started to place kisses, slowly, making, his way down to her nether region and taking his time before going down on her.

It took everything in her not to fist his hair and guide him when he took too long. She was helping him cope and if taking forever was comforting him she was ready to let him take as much time as he wanted.

The wait was worth it because the moment he start to go down on her, her eyes rolled back in pleasure as she clenched the bed sheet and curled her toes, trying hard to keep herself from rocking her hips. She was a little embarrassed by the noises she was making and hoped she wasn't loud enough for his neighbors to hear. That hope vanished the moment she cried out his name when he got her off for the second time.

She tasted herself when he crushed his lips against hers while she was still recovering, his kisses were slow and not demanding. She pulled out of the kiss and cupped his face, frowning at the look in his eyes. His eyes carried a lot remorse and it broke her heart to see him like that. She felt his throbbing erection against her thigh and took matter into her hands when he didn't make any move. She could see that he needed to be inside her yet didn't ask.

"Wait," he spoke softly when she reached for his erection. "Let me get a condom," he cleared his throat.

"Jesse, I'm on the pill," she reminded him.

"I'm not taking any risk. Trust me you don't want to risk me impregnating you."

"Jesse. I don't plan on getting pregnant any time soon and you know that. We can do without a condom," she brought him down to her. "You trust me, right?" she asked. He nodded rapidly.

"Good."

She felt weird about the whole conversation because he was really scared of knocking her up even though the chances of that happening were slim. She had been on the pill ever since she was 16 and had never skipped a day. She usually insisted her partner wore a condom so that she wouldn't have to clean up and of course to not risk catching an STD if it's a casual hook up.

She was fine cleaning up after sex with Jesse because he'd like it better condom-free like any other man walking the planet.

She pressed her lips against his, picking up where they left off, kissing him slowly while stroking his erection. He let out a grunt when she guided him inside of her. He began to thrust and increased his speed by how comfortable Beca looked. She had her legs wrapped around his hips, placing open-mouthed kisses along his neck whenever she could. "Jesse—" she called and didn't have a need to say anything else because he seemed to understand that she needed more and started to simulate her clit. Shortly after that she was chasing her third orgasm for the day. She couldn't help but grin when he placed a kiss on her cheek, forgetting for a second the reason they were having sex in the first place. Opening her eyes, she realized that he still hadn't come yet.

She sat up and rolled over him while he was still inside her. She couldn't figure out why he was keeping himself from coming. She started to roll her hips, forcing herself to not come. He sat up and rested his head against the headboard, closing his eyes.

"Jesse, let go," Beca breathlessly said and cupped his face. "Look at me when I'm talking to you," she brought his face to face her and felt a rush of tears in her eyes when she saw how hard he was trying not to break down.

"Let go," she told him, again. He inhaled deeply before laying her down and kissing her then rested his head in her neck and thrust in and out of her until she couldn't keep herself from coming for any longer before he came inside of her and burst into tears.

"It's okay," she stroked his hair while he sobbed into her neck. "It's okay," she repeated, tightly hugging him as she silently cried.

Jesse cried himself to sleep and Beca held him as he slept but was very uncomfortable and had to clean up so she slipped out of his hold when she was sure he was asleep.

She looked inside his closet hoping to find a pair of clean panties to wear because she was planing on showering and would rather not wear back her panties. She found all of her stuff that he hadn't sent to her yet put together in a drawer. She grabbed a towel and headed to the shower. Where she spend more time thinking than actually showering.

She knew where they stood: They weren't together. Sex didn't mean they were back together. They had sex because she wanted to comfort him and help him cope. He needed comfort and sex was how she could provide it for him.

They were fighting the night before. She was convinced that he was still pissed at her for everything and that the loss of his and Sandra's baby can't change it. She was there for him in a time of need and that was it.

She decided to make him something to eat and wait until he woke up before she would leave. Sneaking off would send the wrong message. Sneaking off would make it look like she really wanted him back and wasn't just doing him a favor which deep down she knew was true. She wanted him back but she fucked up and if they ever got back together it was going to take more than great sex.

She made him mac and cheese and left the plate in the microwave then fed Bender before taking a seat on the sofa. She grabbed the music sheet she found on the coffee table. At first glance she saw how the writing drastically changed from decent to barely readable. She guessed that he wrote it while drowning his sorrows and the empty beer cans surrounding her confirmed much. Humming the notes, she was amazed by how well Jesse could translate his feelings into his work because the piece felt aggressive at first then got bittersweet. It was a first draft and unfinished but was also powerful. He was really talented and deserved to get recognized for his talent.

"You like it?" Jesse asked, stepping out of his bedroom. His eyes were puffy, his hair was going into strange directions, and he was wearing a pair of boxers.

"I love it," she said, eyeing him after she put the sheet back where she found it. "And, I'd love to hear the finished product."

"I'll send it to you if I ever finish it," he rubbed his eyes.

"I made mac and cheese while you were asleep," Beca got up and stuffed her hands in her pockets. "It's in the microwave."

"Thanks," he thanked her then made his way to the kitchenette. "I don't mean to be rude but why are you still here?" he asked as he set the microwave to heat up the mac and cheese. "I didn't expect to find you, honestly," he pulled a beer from the fridge.

"It didn't feel right to leave and not say bye," she watched him bring the beer to his lips and refrained from telling how unhealthy it was to drink beer on an empty stomach.

"It felt right the last time?" he mumbled, placing the beer on the counter and shifting his attention to the microwave.

Beca bit back her reply because it would probably start a fight which neither of them needed. She watched him set the plate on the counter then turn to face her.

"Thank you," he thanked her. "You're truly an amazing friend that I'm glad I had the opportunity to have for a partner even it was just for a month. I don't think anyone would do what you did for me and I wish you'd find someone who'd deserve you and treat you right," he pulled her into a hug then placed a kiss on her damp hair. "I'll always be there for you if you need me. You're one of a kind and I'll never forget you because you'll always have a piece of my heart."

"Why are you saying all this?" Beca tsked, pulling away from his tight hug.

"I'm letting you go, Beca," he stepped back and eyed her as she tried to keep it together. "You deserve the best there is, not a man who caused the death of his own baby," he said sounding bitter at himself

"Jesse, we've been through this. A dick ran a light and hit you. You didn't cause Sandra's miscarriage, he did."

"It's fine if that's what you think," he looked away from her for a second.

"It's not a matter of what I think, it's a fact."

"Beca, I think you should leave," he cleared his throat.

Beca eyed him for a while and realized that being so slow and taking an awful lot of time with foreplay was his way of saying goodbye.

"Well, at least one of us got closure," she said, cupping his face and bringing his lips to hers, kissing him as if her life was depending on it.

Pulling away, she didn't wait a second before she paced to the front door.


	15. Chapter 15

_DISCLAIMER: drugs are bad, unless you're ill and need them. Anyway, I don't endorse their use._

 **AN:** I used 'Show, don't tell.' excessively in this chapter. I got lazy and didn't feel like explaining so I went for the easiest, and my personal favorite, writing technique. I know it could get confusing but bare with me, please.

* * *

 **A month later.**

Beca woke up to the sound of a very loud and very close snoring. She was tired and still high from the night before. _Eating pot brownies should be a weekends only kind of things_ — Beca thought to herself, knowing that the fatigue and laziness she was feeling was the effect of pot. She had to wake up for work so she forced herself to sit up. Rubbing her eyes, she sighed.

"Matt, get up," she called as she shook him. He shifted on his other side and pulled the covers to him.

"Get up," she weakly slapped his shoulder.

"No," he replied.

"Dude, we start work in a couple of hours and I won't let you play hooky in my apartment. If you wanna sleep go to your place," she hopped of the bed, stretching before she took off her bandana from her head and eyed it to find that it was Matt's t-shirt. "Last night got weird," she thought out loud.

Beca tilted her head when Matt got up and arched an eyebrow noting that he was half naked and watched him walk to the bathroom and get under the shower.

"Well, make yourself at home," she said loud enough for him to hear.

"You're almost out of Shampoo," he said, tossing his boxers on the floor after he drew the shower curtains then ran the shower.

Beca shook her head murmuring, "ass," before she started to make her way out of her bedroom.

She wasn't even sure why she let him spend the night over. _Yeah, right: drugs._

He called and asked if she was up to anything and she told him that she was staying in so he invited himself over and told he had weed.

He showed up.

They baked pot brownies.

She ate a few. He smoked the remaining pot, afraid he'd get a panic attack if he ate any and embarrass himself in front of her.

They watched under her recommendation a documentary on the sea then danced to folk German music they found on Spotify.

Usually, when she would get high she'd become stupid happy and do things she wouldn't do sober like sing Nickelback songs or converse with Matt about who would win in a fight between Charizard the Pokémon and a T-Rex.

She wasn't sure when he went to bed but she was sure she dozed off on the living area floor and that he took her to bed. He didn't wake her up to change from her clothes yet managed to strip down to his boxers.

Matt's a jerk that she actually liked and considered a friend even though when she got to New York he obnoxiously hit on her and annoyed the hell out of her. He still did annoy her but she was somehow okay with it.

Standing in the kitchenette, she scratched her head, looking at the mess Matt made trying to make pizza. _Why didn't we just order pizza? Yeah, right we did after_ _making mess!_

"Beca, can you get me a towel?" he called from the bathroom.

"BECA!"

She rolled her eyes then started to make her way back to her bedroom. "I'm coming," she would have told him to fuck off if it didn't mean that she'd have to clean after him.

"Beca?"

"Here," she extended her hand and looked away so that she wouldn't risk seeing him naked.

"Thanks," he sniffed, wrapping the towel around his waist.

"You leave any shampoo?" she asked as he stepped out of the shower.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Good. Now get dressed and go clean the kitchenette while I shower."

He scoffed at her words then made his way to the mirror where he stood eyeing himself.

"Matt, I don't have cleaning people to come clean my apartment. You are going to clean."

"You should hire someone to take care of the place. It's easier. I can call them for you, if you want."

"Matt, get out."

"Okay," he nodded and got out of bathroom, leaving a trace behind him as he walked. His dad wasn't wrong when he told her he's a brat because he really was a big baby.

"Beca, I forgot my boxers," Matt knocked on the door as she showered. "I'm gonna take it, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," she replied as she rinse her hair.

"Fuck," she heard him swear.

"What's wrong?"

"It's wet—I must have gotten it wet when I stood in front of the mirror," he informed her. "Yeah, this is hilarious," he added when Beca laughed at him.

"It's your fault, buddy. You didn't even dry yourself. Also, you're cleaning the trance your left when I'm done," she said as she turned off the water. "Matt, stop scowling and wetting the floor," she peeked her head to look at him, smiling when didn't find him looking at the shower. The curtains wouldn't have let him see anything but her shape anyway but it was nice to know that he wasn't looking her way.

"Look in the bottom drawer in my closet there should be a couple of boxers in there," she sniffed, quickly checking him out because: biology. "Put yours in the hamper," she told him when he nodded and started to walk out and he tossed his boxers on the floor. He walked back and sighed as he picked them up.

"The door," she called and he shut it behind him.

Matt was making her feel like she was babysitting a teenager. She reached for her bathrobe and wore it, towel dried her hair before blew drying it. Stepping out of the bathroom she walked to the door and closed it before she got dressed for the day. It wasn't that she didn't trust Matt not to barge in but she didn't want to risk it. He's her friend but he still wanted to get in her pants.

* * *

Walking out of her bedroom after she got dressed, did her hair and makeup, Beca arched her eyebrows when Matt walked into the apartment. "I got us breakfast," he held up the Starbucks bag up before he closed the door behind him and walked to the kitchenette.

"You like black coffee so I got it for you. I didn't know what else to get to I went with muffins," he tossed her keys on the counter.

"My keys were in my bag, Matt," she said as she walked to him.

"Yeah," he nodded, unpacking.

"You went through stuff, never do that again," she picked the coffee up. "Now clean this mess," she gestured with her hand around. "Matt, you did this while I was watching the TV. Clean," she held his gaze, resisting the urge to laugh because he really didn't want to clean.

"Okay," he said watching her take a muffin.

"When was the last time you cleaned?" she leaned against a wall, enjoying her breakfast and watching him.

"I can't remember," he shrugged. "I never needed to clean after myself."

"What about back when you were in college. You had people come clean your dorm for you?"

"I never cleaned," he glanced at her. "Ever met anyone that cleans their dorm-room?"

"Yeah, everyone I knew back in college cleaned their rooms, you pig!" she made a face, bringing the coffee to her lips. He shrugged at her words quickly sweeping the counter and dropping everything in the trashcan.

"There. It's clean," he gestured with his hands at the counter.

"Good, now the bathroom," she sucked her teeth.

"I am never hanging out with you here again," he said as he walked to the bedroom.

"That's great to hear," she mumbled, taking a bite from the muffin.

"So, am I wearing your ex-boyfriend's boxers?" Matt asked from the bathroom.

"Yes," she answered after a beat.

"Didn't you break up like 3 months ago, why do you still have his boxers?" he asked.

"It's none of your business, Matt," she said, taking a seat on a stool and and gabbing her cellphone from the counter to find out that it had ran out of battery so she got up to look for the charger.

"What time is it?" he asked, walking out of her bedroom. Beca plugged her phone then glanced at her watch. "8:10—you done?" she arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he answered walking to her.

"That was quick," she said.

"I used one of the bath mats and voilà," he grabbed his coffee and took a sip.

"You got any plans for tomorrow?" he asked, hopping on a stool.

"I'm gonna stay in," she walked back to the counter and pick her her coffee up.

"Well, they just got a karaoke machine at Morgan's if you change your mind," he informed her.

"No, thanks," she took a sip.

"Why?"

"I just don't like singing in public."

"You did A cappella and won the international championship," he frowned when she leaned against the counter facing him.

"Yeah, but that's different. I had my friends with me," she shrugged.

"I'm your friend, aren't I?" She nodded at his question. "We'll sing together. Mind you, my voice isn't that good so don't show off your vocals."

"I'll think about it," she finally said. She hated to admit it but karaoke was actually fun especially when she's intoxicated. "Are you finished? We should get going."

"I have my car I can get us there in 10 minutes."

"Cool, then you'll be early for a change," she straightened up then went to her bedroom and got her her messenger bag, checking her stuff before they headed out. Her phone had barely charged when she unplugged it and turned it on.

* * *

"Shit," Beca murmured going through her logs as Matt pushed the button for the ground floor.

"Who is do-not-call?" Matt asked, peeking his head.

"Shit," she rubbed rubbed her forehead when it came back to her.

"Oh," Matt exclaimed in realization.

"Yeah," she said.

"Text him and explain all these calls," he shrugged. "How many did you make?" he asked.

"34," she informed him before tapping on her messaging app.

 _ **'I'm sorry for draining your battery with my calls. I got high last night and I don't know why I kept on calling you. If I left any voicemail please ignore them. Sorry.'**_

"Shut up," she said, hearing Matt chuckle then rested her head against the elevator's wall. Beca tried to recall if she left any voicemail and nothing was coming back to her.

She sighed stepping out of the elevator and stuffed her phone in her pocket. Matt walked ahead of her and held the door for her after he got out.

She was putting her messenger bag in the car when she glanced up and saw Jesse running her way. She froze for a second then put on a stoic expression and stepped back and watched his as he got into a coughing fit when he reached her.

"You okay?" she asked, eyeing him as he rested his hands on his knees. He nodded and continued to cough. He looked like he just got up, wearing a pair of sweatpants, sneakers, a white t-shirt under the unzipped leather jacket he was wearing and a pair of sunglasses.

"Are you?" he asked, straightening up. "I saw your calls like an hour ago and when I called it went straight to voicemail," he said between coughs.

"You came to check on me?" she asked, fearing anyone would hear how fast her heart was beating.

"I got worried so I came," he cleared his throat then glanced at Matt hearing the car door get shut

"I'm fine. I'm really sorry I made you come up here," she apologized watching Jesse frown. "I texted you explaining why I called."

"Wha-" he looked back at her.

"I said that I'm fine and sorry and that I texted you," she watched him pull his phone from his jacket.

"You did," he unlocked the screen. "You got high with _him_?" he scratched his growing beard.

"It got weird," she shrugged. "You know the usual shit stonned me does?"

"Yeah, I do," he sighed. "Well, you're fine and that's great," he stuffed his phone back in his jacket. "Bye," he turned on his heels.

Beca watched him as he started to walk away and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Jesse wait," she said in a loud enough voice for him to hear, grabbing her messenger bag from the car. "I'll see you at work," she said to Matt.

"Okay," he nodded, starting the car.

"What's up?" Jesse asked, arching an eyebrow. _I just wanna walk with_ you— was on the tip of her tongue."I'm gonna take the subway," she told him. He nodded at her words and started to walk again.

* * *

"Beca, hurry up," Jesse said watching Beca go through her bag, looking for her metro card.

"I can't find it," she looked up. "You go ahead, I'll go buy a new one," she wore her bag properly.

"You'll be late," he looked around them.

"There's a venting machine over there," she nodded at it then looked back at him. "C'mere," he reached for her arm and pulled her to him while he pulled his card. He threw his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him as they got through the turnstile after he had slid the card. She wasn't sure being if pressed against his chest was necessary but she didn't complain about it.

"Thanks," she stepped back when he let go.

"Yeah," he looked away.

* * *

"Hold on to me," Jesse said as he held on to a strap.

"No, it's okay," she declined, trying to still have some personal space despite being in a very crowded place. She lost coordination when the subway started to move. "Told you to hold on to me," Jesse grabbed her arm and kept her from falling. Beca held on to his jacket when he removed his hand.

"Rough night?" she asked when he sucked in a deep breath and blew it while rubbing his temples.

"Nothing new," he replied, looking up. He eyed her for a while then pushed down his sunglasses to have a better look at her. "You okay?" he frowned, noting the sweat forming on her forehead.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm a little nauseous."

He leaned back when she leaned up.

"I had pot brownies last night," she said into his ear.

He nodded when she pulled away.

Beca clenched his jacket when the subway stopped. "Thanks," she thanked him when he wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her from getting manhandled by other passengers. He dug his finger in her waist and pulled her to him then looked away from her only looking back when she placed a hand over her mouth. "You gonna get sick?" he asked.

She closed her eyes and nodded.

"Well," he looked out of the window, "We'll get off at this station and find you a trashcan that get the next one. C'mon," he let go of the strap and lightly pushed her to walk. She paced to the first trashcan she laid eyes on and puked. Jesse ran after her and held her hair back while he rubbed her back.

"How many did you eat?" he asked when she was done throwing up.

"Three," she answered as she straightened up.

"Beca, I don't wanna freak you out but you're sweating a lot," he took off his sunglasses and kept eyeing her then sighed when she turned to the trashcan and started throwing up again.

"I was fine this morning," she said accepting the tissue he handed her.

"How are you feeling? How's the nausea?" he asked, watching her wipe her lips with the tissue he handed her. "Beca, are you late?" he hesitantly asked. She froze for a second then nodded. Jesse kept looking at her with a very vague expression on his face then blinked.

"Call in sick and let's go get a test," he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Jesse, I don't think I'm—"

"You're late that's enough reason to get a test," he cut her off.

"I think I have food poisoning," she sniffed.

"What did you have for breakfast?" he asked.

"Um, Matt got coffee and muffins."

"You think you can walk?" he watched her wrap her arms around her belly.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"C'mon, let's get you home," he wore back his sunglasses.

"No, you go. I'll be fine."

He took her bag from her and wore it before he wrapped an arm around her waist and started to walk her, ignoring what she said.

* * *

"The pharmacist say this will help with the food poisoning," Jesse pulled the medicine from the plastic bag he was holding as he stepped into Beca's bedroom after he let himself in.

"I'm gonna kill Matt," she tightly wrapped her arms around herself, curling up in her bed.

"I'll help you get rid of the body," he said walking to her bed, making Beca chuckle in spite of herself at the jealous tone in his voice he was trying to hide.

She forced herself into a sitting position when he took a seat on the bed and accepted the pill he handed her along with the glass of water he had put on the nightstand before going out to get her something for her stomach.

"You need to rest, Bec," Jesse said taking the glass from her after she sipped as little water as she could to wash down the pill.

"And you need to get hydrated," she laid back and wrapped her arms around herself. "Painkillers are over there," she lifted her hand and pointed at the nightstand.

"I'm fine."

"You're wearing sunglasses indoors, Jesse, and you reek of bourbon."

"Get some sleep," he rubbed her arm then reached for her bag and pulled her phone.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm gonna call Matt, he should be here when I leave," he answered without looking up.

"If I see him now I'll strangle his sorry ass for doing this to me."

"Well, he texted you," he tossed her phone on the bed for her to pick up.

"Jesse, moving hurts. Read it for me."

Jesse grabbed her phone and unlocked the screen. "If you didn't show up for work 'cause you're busy banging your ex-boyfriend I'm gonna shame you for it for weeks," Jesse read out loud the text. "What do you want me to text back?" he asked, mustering his best indifferent tone.

"Ignore him," Beca rolled and laid on her stomach then closed her eyes. "I don't even know why I'm friends with that ass," she murmured to herself.

She heard Jesse get up and figured he was leaving but was too tired to say anything to him.

* * *

Beca woke up a few hours later, her mouth was dry, she was still nauseous but her stomach wasn't trying to kill her anymore.

Hearing a series of profanities coming from inside the apartment she hopped off the bed, deciding to go see what was going on to find Jesse hold his thumb and looking around.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she walked to him.

"I cut my thumb cutting carrots."

"Carrots?" she frowned.

"I'm making you soup," he nodded at the counter then walked to the sink and ran the water. Beca dragged herself to the bathroom to get the first aid kit then made her way back to the kitchenette.

"Show me your thumb," she placed the kit on the counter and waited for him until he dried his hand with a cloth. She glanced at the half full bourbon bottle, that she didn't remember buying, on the counter then took his hand and applied antibiotic ointment on his wounded thumb.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as she placed a band aid around his thumb.

"I'm fine," she stepped back. "You don't have to do this," she gestured at the counter. "I can take care of myself," she walked the fridge and pulled filter pitcher and poured herself a glass of water.

"I know," he ran his fingers through his hair then stuffed his hand in his jacket's pocket and pulled a pregnancy test.

Beca sighed then poured herself another glass when she saw it in his hand.

"Beca, you said you're late," he watched her drink water then put the pitcher back in the fridge. She walked to him and took the test before making her way to the bathroom.

Jesse waited outside until he heard her flush the toilet before he joined her.

"Relax, Jesse," Beca said watching Jesse biting his nails.

"You could be carrying my child and you want me to relax?" he questioned, watching her walk to the sink and wash her face.

"Yeah," she tilted her head to look at him. "I can't keep a fish alive, I doubt I can take care of child," she said, reaching for a towel to dry her face.

"What are you saying?" he stopped biting his nails.

"I'm saying that I won't keep it," she blew a breath.

"No, you can't do that."

"First off, It's my body, Jesse, you can't tell me what I can and cannot do. Second, I have a career that needs my full time. Third, by the time he or she is born, that if there is a baby, I'll be living 1400 miles away from you and keeping you involved will be hard as fuck."

They both tilted their heads hearing Beca's phone beep when the timer was done.

"And, if we were still together would you have reconsidered?" he asked.

"We're not, so I don't know," Beca reached for the test and picked up, "it's negative," she lifted it for him to see for himself before she threw it in the trashcan.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, feeling slightly judged by Jesse's hurt expression.

"Sorry," he blinked, burying his face in his hands and rubbing it.

"Well, I did what you've stuck around for," she sighed. "It was good seeing you and sorry for freaking you out twice," she watched him look up.

"I stayed because I wanted to make sure you're fine," he hardened his expression a little.

"I'm fine," she crossed her arms. "I don't think I can eat yet, though, so no need to finish that soup," she added.

"Then, I guess, I'm out," he ran his fingers through his hair then turned on his heels. He was reaching for the front door's knob when Beca tightly hugged him from behind. He threw an arm over her shoulder and turned her to embrace her in his arms. Hearing her sniff, he placed a kiss on top of her head, "shush," he placed another kiss. "You're fine, remember?" he told her and she answered with a curt nod. "Good," he rested his cheek on her head. "You're more than fine, you're really strong and I—" he paused briefly, "I really care about you," he tightened his hold.

"I love you too," she mumbled into his chest.

"Wanna watch a movie or something on Netflix?" he cleared his throat. He knew he was giving into what he wanted and strongly believed he didn't deserve to have. He missed her terribly and when he got up to throw up in the morning and saw her calls he got worried and welcomed the chance of going to see her.

She had put a good front but it didn't last long and he felt guilty for hurting her by showing up when he was supposed to leave her alone so that she'd forget about him and move on.

"Netflix is cool," she sniffed.

"Yeah," he agreed. "C'mon," he unwrapped his arms from around her and took off his jacket while she gave him her back to wipe her tears.

"I think Rocky is still available," he followed Beca to the coach and sat down next to her, keep his distance from her.

* * *

"So, what's the deal with that guy you work with?" Jesse asked, breaking the silence they got in as they watched the movie.

"Strange enough, we've become good friends," she shrugged. "He's a spoiled jerk but I somehow like hanging out with him and making him all sort of things he has people do for him. I made him clean the kitchenette and the bathroom this morning," she smiled to herself, remembering how great it was to watch Matt struggle to do a simple task.

"And, you always have sleepovers?" he asked and closed his eyes, cursing himself for letting her hear jealousy in his tone.

"He spent the night 'cause I fell asleep on the floor," she curled up and wrapped her arms around her legs. Jesse nodded, feeling relieved. He'd be lying to himself if he said he didn't care if she's hooking up with Matt. Beca glanced at him and smiled noting the small twitch in his lips before she looked back the screen.

She had no idea what they were doing watching a movie together. She had no explanation as to why she ran after him and hugged him. She had no reason to be sitting with him. She was supposed to being getting over him yet being in the same room as him made her happy and the heaviness in her chest had shrunk just by being next to him.

She was doing a terrible job at getting over him.

They watched the movie in a comfortable silence. Beca tried to enjoy the movie by pushing all her thoughts and worries to the back of her mind.

"Hey, did you know that," Jesse tilted his head then paused when saw that Beca had fallen asleep. He reached for the remote and paused the movie then go up. He went to the kitchenette and picked up the bottle of bourbon, gulping from it before he went back to preparing chicken soup.

He made as little noise as he could then washed the dishes and left the soup on the stove. He made his way to the couch and picked up his jacket and chuckled seeing that Beca was curled up in a fetal position with her arm over her head. She looked comfortable so he figured he shouldn't disturb her by taking her to bed.

He watched her sleep for a few seconds then turned on his heels and headed out of her apartment.


	16. Chapter 16

The click the door made when Jesse shut it behind him woke Beca up. She lifted her head, looked at the door, reached for the remote and pressed play before resting it back on the couch and curling up then sighing when she heard her phone and deciding to ignore it. _They can leave a message—_ she thought to herself as she held her legs close to her chest.

She was falling back asleep when she heard knocking on the door, she opened one eye, thinking she dreamed the knock but when the person at the door knocked again, she sat up. It couldn't be Jesse because it must have past 30 minutes since he had left, she guessed since the movie had ended.

She wiped her cheeks to make sure there weren't any tears and ran her fingers through her hair as she reached for the doorknob. "Oh my god, what are you doing here?" she questioned in surprise.

"I'm glad to see you too, Bec," Chloe said as she threw her arms around her shoulders and hugged her tightly.

"When did you get here?" Beca asked, pulling away from Chloe's hug.

"A couple of hours ago," Chloe answered.

"How did you get in?"

"We waited until someone was getting out then we sneaked in," Matt answered.

"I—we tried calling you," Chloe suggested between her and Matt.

"Yeah, I was napping," Beca stepped back. "Get in," she told them.

"If you didn't get the door I was going to call 911. He said you didn't show up at work," she nodded at Matt.

"I got food poisoning so I called in sick. Asshat over here is the reason," she shot a glare at Matt who was looking around her apartment.

"What, you mean me? What did I do to you?" he asked, looking back at her.

"The muffins you got me got me sick."

"Good thing you dragged me out and I didn't get one. Dodged a bullet there," he mock-wiped his forehead.

Beca eyed him for a few minutes then reached over, rolling her eyes when he stepped away.

"I saw you sucker punch a guy," he said defensively when he saw her expression.

"Don't worry," she said, rubbing her fingers against his beard. "You just got yourself some crumbs," she said removing her hand.

"Oh," he scratched his beard, "thanks," he said then tilted his head hearing Chloe clear her throat.

"How are you feeling now?" Chloe asked in concern.

"I'm better," she assured her, giving Chloe a small smile. "Did you come alone?" she asked.

"No, Amy and Bumper are here too. The minute we landed I went to your workplace."

"—I told her you didn't show up then came over with her to check up on you."

"Well, I'm fine." Matt nodded eyeing then pulled his cell phone from his pocket and grimaced.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," he looked up. "I have to go back to work. I was in a meeting when I saw your friend," he said to Beca. "I recognized her from that frame over there," he nodded at the graduating picture framed on the wall, "And, I just had to go see what was up," he shrugged.

"very thoughtful," Beca sighed. "Well, thanks for showing up, Matt."

"Yeah, any day, Ms. Mitchell," he brought the phone to his ear. "Yeah, I'm coming," he said to the phone. "Nah, we'll be fine—bye," he waved at both Beca and Chloe then reached for the knob and unlocked the door and paced out of the apartment. "Not you," they heard him say on the phone as he closed the door.

"Is he buffed or is it just his chest?" Chloe nodded at the door. "You can't really tell with that sweatshirt he's wearing."

"Not just the chest," Beca answered looking at the door.

"Have you?" Chloe snapped her head back to look at Beca.

"Ugh, no," Beca made a face. "I just saw his half naked," she informed Chloe. "What? don't look at me like that. We saw each other naked and didn't have sex," she shrugged.

"God, I missed you," Chloe pulled Beca into her embrace and hugged her.

"You too, Chlo," Beca said hugging her back.

"How long ago did you have the food poisoning?" Chloe asked, pulling away.

"I don't know, what time is it now?" Beca asked back, blowing a breath.

"It's 2:14 pm," Chloe informed her as she looked at her watch.

"Um, I had breakfast around 8 am," she paused. "Like six hours," she shrugged.

"Your stomach should be able to hold food," Chloe said then started to make her way to the kitchenette. "Got any food in here?"

"Jesse was making soup earlier I don't know if he finished it or not," Beca followed her. Chloe turned on her heels and arched an eyebrow. Beca sighed then gave her a summary of what had happened, starting by how she and Matt got high and ending with Jesse leaving while she slept but didn't include the part where she practically clung to him and started crying, she didn't even know why she did that.

"How is he?" Chloe asked out of curiosity. She knew about the accident since she was face-timing with Beca when she got the call from the hospital.

Beca rested her hands on the counter and looked around for the bourbon she saw earlier and couldn't see it anywhere. "He was blaming himself for the whole thing last time I saw him and from the looks of it I think he still does."

"Poor guy—He made you alphabet soup," Chloe informed her friend as she looked into the pot. "Sit down while I heat it up," she tilted her head to look at Beca who had wrapped her arms around herself and was looking out the window.

"You're not falling into depression, are you?"

"What? No, I'm fine," Beca looked back at Chloe.

"Stacie said you're not acting like yourself lately."

"I haven't seen Stacie in like two weeks, how does she know how I'm acting? Is she even in New York still?"

"She is. And you've been blowing her off whenever she asks if you wanted to hang out."

"I never blew her off. I just don't want to go out and sleep with strangers— which, by the way, is what she wants me to do."

"No, Stacie wants to help out. She's worried about you," Chloe paused when Beca scoffed. "I'm worried about you."

"Don't be. I'm doing fine. Just a few more months then I'm back home," Beca sighed and took a seat. She had spent nearly five months in New York and had at most seven months, depending on when Matt's father retires.

"Seriously, Chloe, I won't get depressed over a guy. I'll be fine, eventually—You haven't told me what you, Amy and Bumper are doing in New York?"

"Bumper is promoting his new album and will be performing on SNL this Saturday, how cool is that?"

"Pretty cool," Beca nodded.

"Anyway, Bumper rented a jet. Amy asked if I wanted to go and here I am," Chloe grinned. "I'm here to get you out of this place and make you socialize so you better hurry up and get better," Chloe turned back to the stove and turned it off before she grabbed a bowl and filled it with soup, smiling to herself when she heard Beca groan.

"Did you check in a hotel?" Beca asked as she brought the spoon to her mouth. Chloe shook her head. "This was a last minute kinda thing." Chloe opened the fridge and pulled a pitcher and pour some water into a glass.

"When are you headed back to L.A?"

"Sunday, I don't know when exactly," she shrugged, placing a glass of water in front of Beca.

"Stay here for the weekend," Beca sucked her teeth as she watched Chloe take a seat on a stool next to her.

"I will," Chloe nodded. "How's the soup?"

"Soup is good," Beca looked down at the bowl and continued to eat in silence.

"I'll get it," Chloe got on her feet when they heard Beca's phone ring.

"Chloe, I had a food poisoning. I'm not dying."

"You're eating. It's fine. I got it," she got up and walked to her room.

"Beca, Taxes is calling," Chloe frowned as she walked out of the bedroom. "Who's Taxes?"

"Nick," Beca curtly answered.

" _Nick_ Nick?"

"Yep. Ignore him," Beca tilted her head and watch Chloe pick up the phone. She rolled her eyes looked back at her soup.

"Hello," Chloe said and started to make her way back to the stool she was sitting on. "Um, she's showering," she lied as she eyed Beca play around with the spoon and guessed she was spelling some word and leaned in to get a better look and saw that Beca spelled SOUP. Feeling Chloe's gaze, Beca looked up and whispered, "soup-ception," making Chloe chuckle.

"I'll tell her to call back," she said to Nick. "Oh, wait, she just got out of the shower," Chloe pulled the phone away from her ear, "Beca, Nick is on the phone."

Beca glared at her then shook her head.

"Hey," she said bringing the phone to her ear.

 _"Hey yourself,"_ he paused. _"You better have a good reason for standing me out,"_ he added.

"Shit, I'm sorry, man," Beca rubbed her forehead. They were supposed to have lunch together and she totally forgot. "I got food poisoning this morning, I should have texted and canceled. I'm really sorry," she apologized. She felt bad for forgetting about the plans they made (Read: he made.)

 _"Food poisoning?"_

"Yep."

 _"You okay now?"_ he asked in concern.

"Yeah, I'm doing better— hey you got any plans tomorrow night?" she asked.

 _"No, not really. Why?"_

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could go grab a drink. Some of my friends from college are in town and we're going out, it'll be fun," she told him. She wanted to hit to birds with one rock. Hangout with Nick and make up for standing him out and get out of the apartment so that Chloe would stop worrying. Having her friends with them will make it harder for him to make a move.

 _"Oh yeah, who?"_

"Well, there's Chloe, Stacie and maybe Amy and Bumper," she said. She knew she could get Stacie and Chloe to go but wasn't sure about Amy and Bumper.

 _"Okay,"_ he agreed.

"Cool, I'll text you and tell you where we're meeting up and when?"

 _"I'll be expecting a text. You just get better."_

"Yeah."

 _"Well, my cigarette break is over. I have to go back to work."_

"Okay, don't wanna keep you from work."

 _"Take care."_

"You too, bye," she said and hung up then tossed her phone on the counter.

"What's wrong you?" Chloe asked when Beca met her gaze. Beca frowned at the question. "Why are you going out with Nick when you're clearly still hung up on Jesse."

"It's not like that," Beca went back to her soup. "Nick is," Beca paused, thinking of define what Nick's to her. "He's a part of my past. He's a friend," she shrugged.

"And the bearded guy from work? He likes you, Beca."

"I know he does. Matt also knows that I'm leaving and that I don't think of him that way. I mean, he's attractive but I got other things that I need to focus on."

Beca hopped off of the stool when she finished eating and took her bowl to the sink.

"Like?"

"Work," Beca answered as she turned on her heels. "I'm gonna go shower. Make yourself at home."

* * *

Beca felt slightly better after a warm shower. She felt like could work. She knew she'd have a ton of e-mails waiting for her and had to get on them as soon as possible.

She walked into her bedroom to find Chloe lying on her stomach on the phone with who she guessed was her husband. She walked straight to her wardrobe and picked a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt and underwear then walked back to the bathroom to change. When she walked out for the second time, Chloe wasn't on the phone anymore.

"Wanna binge watch some show since you're sick and we can't go out?"

"I have some work to do, Chlo. Maybe later," she made her way to her messenger bag to pull her laptop from it.

"You gonna make music?" Chloe asked, looking at some music equipment laying around in the room but they looked like they haven't been used in a while.

"No," Beca climbed on the bed. "I haven't made music in months," she sighed, starting her laptop.

"What have you been doing then?"

"Trying to find a way to keep the branch up and working," she looked up and took in the confused look on Chloe's face. "I forgot to tell you," she ran a hand through her damp hair. "My bosses are planning on shutting this branch down 'cause it hasn't been producing anything _'special',"_ she paused to sigh. "Sending me here is like some sort of training for the real deal which is the position in L.A.," Beca logged on her e-mail on wasn't surprised by the amount of unread e-mails she found.

"I haven't been doing any progress so this training period is pointless," she blew a breath and started to rub her temples. "I can't do my job right and I can't blame it on anyone but myself. I took this promotion and I don't deserve it. I don't know why they offered it to me," she shrugged. "For the last couple of weeks, I've been seriously considering quitting or ask for my old job back and just get the hell out of here." she sniffed and blinked back tears that were threatening to spill.

"You don't really mean that," Chloe said when Beca was done talking.

"I suck at this. I haven't been able to accomplish anything worth mentioning. I haven't signed anyone yet. I don't think I can spot talent," she shrugged and opened an e-mail to read. "I can just work with what I get assigned to."

Chloe reached and took the laptop from Beca's lap.

"Chloe, I need that," Beca sniffed.

"You'll get it back, don't worry." Chloe put it aside then turned back to her. "You're wrong about what you can and cannot do. You're learning how to do this. I honestly have no idea how being a director of A&R works. But you've been doing it and putting a lot of effort into managing an entire department. You're being picky about signing artists, so what? You said this branch is gonna get cut off. You need someone who's like oozing with talent to put you guys on the map again. It's stressful. And, you've been going through stuff—deny it all you want but you're miserable and need a support system, the kind that wouldn't just give you love but makes love to you—"

"You were doing great, Chloe, now you just set women back 50 years," Beca clicked her tongue. "I don't need any man."

"What is it that you need then?"

"Now? That would be my laptop."

"You're not getting it. And, you're right, you don't need _any man—_ "

"—Thank you."

"You need Jesse."

"Well, that ship has sailed and won't be making a detour. I screwed up and he doesn't want me back— now give me my laptop."

"He doesn't owe you anything yet he stayed with you and made freaking alphabet soup."

"He was just returning a favor," Beca said then bit her lip in regret.

"What favor?" Chloe arched an eyebrow. "Beca, what favor?" Chloe asked again when Beca didn't answer her the first time.

"After the accident. Jesse got into a very weird place. I didn't know how to help with words so I slept with him and it worked."

"Wow," Chloe closed the laptop's lid.

"Yeah, then he woke up and told me that we can't see each other again because I deserve better or something like that," she paused feeling a lump in her throat.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Chloe scooted closer to Beca and threw her arm around her shoulder and leaned against the headboard.

"Because listening to me ramble about my awesome life isn't a priority," Beca rested her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"You'll always be a priority. I mean, we're best friends," she squeezed her arm. "I know you kept stuff out. I wanna hear it all."

Beca spent the next hour or so filling Chloe in on everything that went down. She wasn't intending on telling her everything but talking made her feel better so she kept going.

"You've been keeping all this to yourself. No wonder you can't focus on your work," Chloe shook her head when once her friend was done talking.

"I don't exactly feel comfortable talking about any of this to anyone," Beca sat up then tilted her head to look at Chloe's shoulder. "Shit, it's all wet," she said noting the wet spot her hair left on Chloe's shirt.

"It's fine," Chloe started to unbutton her shirt then took it off and stayed in a tank.

"Chlo, you hungry? We could order something if you're hungry."

"I could eat something, yeah," Chloe nodded.

"Pizza?"

Chloe nodded and watched Beca hop off of the bed and get out of the room only to come back less than a minute later holding her phone. "It should be here in less than 30 minutes," Beca plugged her phone in the charger.

"So, are you really gonna ask for your old job back?"

"I've been thinking about it," Beca put her phone on the floor then climbed on the bed.

"Never took you for a quitter, Bec," Chloe watched her lay down next to her. "And, who knows when you'll get another opportunity like this."

"That's why I'm still thinking and haven't decided yet," Beca sighed and rested her weight on her elbow and faced her friend. "When am becoming an aunt?" she arched an eyebrow.

"We're gonna start trying as soon as we close in on a house," Chloe beamed.

"And how's that going?"

"We're still looking," Chloe paused, figuring that Beca was changing the subject and didn't want to talk about herself anymore and decided to mess with her. "You know, Stacie is right."

"About what?" Beca frowned.

"About you needing to get laid. You've been stressing over work and Jesse and it will eventually affect your health. You could use some sex to reduce stress."

Beca laid on her back, thinking about how stress had already affected her health since her period was late.

"If you don't wanna hook up with a stranger, I could help," Chloe shrugged. Beca tilted her head and found Chloe looking at her suggestively. "You're weird," she told her then turned on her side, giving Chloe her back. "And very married," she added when Chloe threw her arm around her waist and started to spoon her.

"Oh, Tom would be sad he wasn't part of this," she chuckled then rested her chin on Beca's shoulder. "Don't quit your job. You'll regret it. Promise me you won't rush into it."

"I promise that I won't," Beca said after a beat.

* * *

 **AN:** What d'ya think is gonna happen once they meet at the bar? I'm going to wrap it up soon and I'd like to hear your thoughts and guesses. Do you think there's a shot this could have a happy ending?


	17. Chapter 17

Jesse was laying on the couch, drumming a pen on the music sheet he was holding. He had re-written the same part 3 times and it still didn't seem to fit right with the prior part. He huffed and reached for the beer that was on the coffee table, picked it up and brought it to his lips. He rolled his eyes when he found out that it was empty and got on his feet. He kept looking at the music sheet as he made his way to the kitchenette, dropped the empty bottle in the trash, pulled the fridge door open, grabbed a beer and kicked the door shut. He put the sheet on the counter to remove the cap and brought the bottle to his lips, gulping down some beer. He burped, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and picked the piece of paper.

He was making his way back to the couch when he heard a knock on the door. Knowing it was late for anyone to be on the other side of the door, he glanced at the time to double check and saw that it was almost 2 am. He put the beer and music sheet on the coffee table then walked to the front door.

"Wha—what are you doing here?" he asked opening the door wide-open and stepping back as he eyed the very nervous looking Beca.

"I can't do this anymore," she shrugged and stepped forward, throwing her arms around his shoulders and pulling him into a kiss.

Pulling away to ask her what was she doing didn't cross his mind. He kissed her back and pinned her against the door after shutting it with his free hand as his other hand was on her waist.

"Oh, Beca," he mumbled, sighing against her lips then pulling away when he heard a distant beeping sound. "What's that?" he asked, tilting his head to look around for the source.

The beeping got louder as he rubbed his eyes in exhaustion then groaned opening his eyes.

"Not again," he huffed, reaching for his phone, i.e the beeping source, and grabbed it. He turned off the alarm and tossed it on the coffee table.

He buried his face in his hands and groaned loudly as he rubbed it before he got up. He kicked the empty can he stumbled on then started to make his way to his bedroom while stretching. He rubbed his sore neck and cursed himself for falling asleep on the couch. He started gagging so he ran to the toilet and dropped on his knees, puking his guts out. Getting up, he turned to the sink and ran the water to wash his face. He glanced at the shower and decided to skip. He brushed his teeth then made his way out of the bathroom.

"Oh, god," he exclaimed once he set foot into his bedroom and got overwhelmed by the sun rays coming from the window. He quickly drew the curtains and felt much better when he wore his sunglasses.

He threw a sweatshirt over his t-shirt, slipped on his shoes, wore his coat and headed out for work.

* * *

"Good morning, Swanson," Jesse heard the school's headmaster greet. He forced a small smile, meeting his gaze and greeted him with a nod.

Stepping into the teacher's room, he walked straight to the coffee machine and served himself a cup of coffee then made his way to a vending machine that was in the hallway to buy an energy bar.

He was walking back to the teacher's room when he saw one of his co-workers leaning against a wall, looking behind Jesse. He glanced behind him then frowned seeing that it was a couple of girls standing not far away from him.

"Jesse," his co-worker called.

"Oliver," Jesse stopped when the man, placed a hand on his shoulder and sighed. Jesse followed his gaze and saw that he was still looking at the girls. He brought the coffee to his lips and gulped it down in one breath then threw it in a trashcan.

"They're hot, aren't they?" Oliver glanced at Jesse when he saw that he was also eyeing the younger girls.

"They're kids, Oliver," Jesse looked back at him.

"They're, like, 17," he shrugged. "You still work at that bar, right?"

Jesse nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking you could let them sneak in— you know how teenagers love to go where they're not allowed. We take them then you know..." he clicked his tongue and looked at Jesse suggestively. "I call dibs on the small one, though. You can have the other one."

"You fucking asshole," Jesse spat out, his hands were shaking when he fisted them and threw a punch that landed on his co-worker's face. It was the first time Jesse had ever raised his hand on anyone. He was disgusted by his co-worker and couldn't stop himself from landing several punches on his face until other workers came and broke them off.

* * *

"Stop staring," Chloe whispered into Beca's ear. Beca looked away from the bar, realizing that she was staring at Jesse. She had been watching him ever since he got in. He caught her a few times and just nodded her way before shifting his attention back to his work.

"I'm gonna go get a refill."

"But..." Chloe looked down at the half empty pint of beer that was in front of her friend. Beca grabbed it and drowned it down before she got on her feet and started to make her way to the bar. Placing her empty pin on the counter, Jesse picked it up and the refilled it then put in front of her.

"Wow," Beca grabbed his arm before he could pull it away. "What happened?" she asked in concern as she eyed his pretty swollen hand.

"It's nothing," he watched her as she gently ran her fingers over his knuckles and hoped she wasn't feeling the goosebumps her gesture caused.

"Did you punch through a wall?" she looked up.

"No," he didn't draw his arm back when she let go of it and just held his hand instead.

"You punched someone?" she asked in disbelief.

"Beca, you should go back to your table." He forced himself to pull his hand away. Beca held his gaze for a few seconds then walked around the bar and got behind it.

"You can't be here. My boss doesn't want us letting people behind the bar," he pretended to look around for his boss. His boss didn't come on Fridays.

"Your boss can kiss my ass," she grabbed a cloth they used to clean the bar and dipped her hand in an ice bucket, wincing at the coldness and pulling some cubes. She put them on the cloth then knotted the cubes in it and grabbed his's arm.

"I don't know how long it has been but you need ice," she pressed it against his knuckles.

"Cool," he nodded, swallowing the pain he felt. "Thanks," he placed his hand over hers.

"A margarita, please." They heard a customer say.

"I got it," Mae, the other bartender working that night, got the order. "Oh, hi," she smiled at Beca.

"Hey, how's it going?" she smiled back.

"I'm working on a Friday night, _amazing_ ," she shrugged. Beca chuckled at the sarcasm in her words then looked back at Jesse. "I'll let you go back to your work," she pulled her hand from underneath his, grabbed her pint of beer, paid for it and walked back to her table.

"Were you making the beer?" Matt asked when she joined them.

"Yeah, how did you guess?" she brought the beer to her mouth.

"I put our names on to sing next," Bumper pointed at Beca as she sat down.

"Excuse me, you did what?" Beca asked, putting down the pint.

"You and I are singing next," he threw an arm over Amy's shoulder.

"Um—wow. Okay," she shrugged. "What are we singing?" she asked, taking a sip.

"Number one," he informed her as he held his index finger up.

"The R Kelly song?" she choked.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Why are we going to sing that?" she asked between coughs.

"Honestly, I think our voices sound great together and I like this song," he shrugged. "Look if you have something against this song we could sing Turnin' me on," he suggested.

"God, no," she shook her head, clearing her throat. "Amy should be up there not me."

"Amy?" Beca turned to her Aussie friend who shrugged.

"Liquid courage," Nick winked, pushing his whiskey her way.

"Thanks," she gulped from it then winced at the after taste. She washed it down by a sip from the Martini that Chloe was sipping.

"C'mon," Bumper got on his feet once it was their turn. "Oh, and you're singing R Kelly's lines," he said as they walked to take the mics.

"Why?"

"I like Keri Hilson's lines better," he shrugged.

Jesse almost spilled beer when he heard Beca's singing right after the first few notes that played and Bumper weirdly whispering, " _Number one._ "

She sucked it up and embraced the very sexual song. She was there to try and have fun. And, being tipsy helped. Big time.

"Wow," Jesse murmured, resting his hand on the bar as he watched Beca nail her part and outshine a recording artist. Bumper jumped off of the stage once his part was over and left Beca to finish the song. She subconsciously kept looking at the bar as she sang the last few lines and smiled when Jesse dropped what he was doing to clap when she was done. "Woah," he hollered, grinning for the first time in a while and meaning it. He liked watching Beca cut loose and have fun with the song.

Beca gave back the mic and made her way back to the table.

"That went nothing like I expected," Nick smiled watching her take a seat.

"That was hot," Stacie exclaimed.

"I second that," Matt nodded, placing down a round of shots.

"Thank you," Beca sat down and picked her pint of beer.

"Where are Amy and Bumper?" Beca looked around the table.

"They bailed," Chloe informed her and winked.

"Gross," Beca said after swallowing.

"Drink up. You need to be really intoxicated to sing what I put us to sing next," he assured her as he sat down.

"What is it?" she arched an eyebrow.

"It's a Rihanna song, I'll tell you that much," he picked up a shot.

"What if I don't know the words?" she asked.

"I heard you singing it the other day at work. You know it," he smirked. "Drink up," he advised, taking another shot.

"You can sing too?" Nick asked him.

"Nope," Matt winced after swallowing.

"He's tone deaf," Beca nodded at Matt then tilted her head to look at the person singing Alicia Keys' Fallin' and was surprised when she saw Mae. She didn't know she could sing quite beautifully. She hit every note right and didn't seem to realize how amazing she sounded.

"Shit," Beca murmured.

"She got a great set of pipes, huh?" Chloe sad as she watched Mae belt out.

"Uh-Huh," Beca agreed. All she knew about Mae was that she was fresh out of college. She figured that she was in the "I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-my-life-phase" most recent college graduates go through since she was working at a bar.

"C'mon, we're up next," Matt drummed his fingers on the table once Mae finished singing.

"How did you get us on next?" Beca asked.

"I may or may not have bribed them with a couple of Rihanna tickets," he shrugged.

"Dude, we could have just waited!"

"I don't like waiting, most of the time," he winked at her then turned on his heels.

"Jesus christ," Beca rubbed her forehead seeing the title of the song on the screen; Birthday cake by Rihanna and featuring Chris Brown. She rolled her eyes then began singing, " _Come and put your name on it. Come and put your name on it. Bet you wanna put your name on it. Come and put your name on it._ "

She ran her fingers through her hair and decided to make Matt as uncomfortable as she could for picking Birthday cake for them to sing.

" _It's not even my birthday. But he wanna lick the icing off. I know you want it in the worst way. Can't wait to blow my candles out,_ " she licked her bottom lip and smirked at the dumb look he had on his face.

She continued to sing while dancing around and occasionally laughing at Matt. He looked utterly dumb-fucked.

Beca pushed his shoulder when it was time for him to sing Chris Brown's verse.

" _Girl I wanna fuck you right now (right now). Been a long time, I've been missing your body. Let me-let me turn the lights down..._ "

Jesse watched Matt sing for a while then couldn't handle looking at him eye-fuck the love of his life and turned to the bar filling a shot of vodka for himself and drowning it. He distracted himself with work and only looked back at the stage when he heard cheering and almost broke the glass in his hand when he saw Matt's arm around Beca as they kissed.

"Mae," Jesse called. "Take over. I'll be right back," he told her as he put down the drink he was making and walked around the bar and out of the place.

Beca pulled away. Confused and shocked by what Matt did. They were having fun with a song and he misread what she was doing.

"That's what you wanted, right?" he asked, frowning at her reaction.

"No, it's not," she shoved the mic in his chest and hopped off of the stage, making her way out of the bar, needing some fresh air.

Beca held her head once she was outside and looked up at the sky, humorlessly chuckling when she saw that sky was pitch black.

"Get back inside, it's cold," Jesse tilted his head to look at her when he heard her step out of the bar.

"It's fine," she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Suit yourself," he shrugged, looking away from her.

"Who did you punch?" she asked noting how he winced when he stuffed his hand in his pocket.

"Does it matter?" he asked back.

"No," she made her way to him and stood in front of him for a while then sighed and walked away and leaned against the wall next to him.

"I can't do this anymore," she said after a beat.

Jesse looked up, hearing the same words she said in his dream.

"Can't do what?" he asked, seeing that she was looking at the sky.

"Nevermind," she shook her head.

"You know you can always talk to me," he hesitantly threw his arm around her shoulder, seeing that she was obviously cold.

"Over the course of a year, my life has gotten way too complicated and I'm beginning to think that the big guy up there has a beef with me or something," she nodded at the sky. "Like, what's your problem?" she asked, directing her question to the sky. "Is this payback for the cat that I couldn't keep alive when I was 8? Well, newsflash: I WAS EIGHT!"

"You killed a cat?" Jesse asked in amusement.

"Not killed. More like, let him get killed—it's a long story," she tilted her head to look at Jesse and found him looking down at her.

"You know, with the dim lightening, you look like a creep," she scratched his beard.

"Can you do me a favor?" he put a hand over hers and pulled it down.

"What d'you want?"

"Stop coming here," he squeezed her hand then let go of it.

"Why?" she asked.

"You'd be doing yourself a bigger favor by not coming here, actually," he stuffed his hand in his pocket.

"Well, guess what? You're not the boss of me," she shrugged his arm off.

He ran his fingers through his hair then clench it. "You're complicating things for yourself."

"I know. I screwed up big time. Pushed you away. And, now you're doing the same to me. So, yeah, I know," she threw her hands up in defeat. She watched him let go of his hair and look back at her then froze when he cupped her face and kissed her.

* * *

 **AN:** Oh them cliffhangers. _*sigh*_

Thank you for reading. Reviews help me know if you guys like this or are even interested still. Peace out.

Songs mentioned: Number one by R Kelly ft Kari Hilson, Turnin' me on by Kari Hilson ft Lil Wayne, Fallin' by Alicia Keys, Birthday Cake by Rihanna ft Chris Brown.


	18. Chapter 18

Jesse kissed her and she felt the need to grip his hair to keep him from pulling. It didn't matter that his beard was starting to hurt her. She had been wanting to kiss him and do other things with him for too long. Yes, to her, a month is too long. Once they were out of breath, Jesse pulled away, panting, and didn't let go of her face.

He sucked in a deep breath and was about let go when Beca pulled him back and pressed her lips against his, pulling him into a desperate kiss. He heard her sniff and broke the kiss. He could see in the dim light that her eyes were watery and that she was trying to keep it together. He wiped the tear that escaped when she blinked with his thumb and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm so sorry," he squeezed her in his arms. "I shouldn't have done that," he rested his cheek on her head.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she questioned, pushing him away, and looked him in the eye to see the same look he had when he told her that he was letting her go. She ran her fingers through her hair and looked away from him, stomping her foot, trying really hard not to breakdown.

"Bec," he stepped forward and stopped when she took a step back.

"Why did you kiss me?" she asked.

"It'll upset you and I don't want that—"

"—Jesse, just fucking answer me," she cut him off. "'Cause the only explanation I have is that you wanna fuck with me!" she shrugged.

"No," he scratched his beard then sighed. "Seeing you getting all touchy feely with that dude you work with really hit a nerve. I know that you were just having fun like you did with Bumper and even if you were really meaning what you've been doing, it's fine. You don't owe me anything. But when I saw you two kiss I wanted fucking strangled him."

She crossed her arms, confident that her walls were up and were protecting her, as she studied him. "Who are you?" she asked.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"The Jesse I know wouldn't hurt a fly and you're punching people," she nodded at his busted hand, "and want to strangle Matt, so, who are you?"

She was mad and very worried about him. "Jesse, I get that you're mourning the loss of your baby but you seriously need to wake up." She knew that he was blaming himself for what happened. The reason he pushed her away is him thinking she shouldn't be with _a guy who had caused the death of his unborn child and that she deserved much better._ She replayed his words in her head for many days and figured they were just guilt talk and that he'd realize at some point that it wasn't his fault that a guy ran a light and hit them when he happened to have low blood sugar level.

"Beca? Your friends said that you should be calm enough to listen." Beca looked behind Jesse and at Matt who was stepping out of the bar then looked back at Jesse to find him watching her.

"They're wrong," she answered as she held Jesse's gaze. "You really don't wanna be near me right now," she added not hiding the anger she was feeling.

She was angry at everything at the moment. Matt did piss her off but she wasn't going to hold it against him: she was well aware of how she was acting as she sang with him and of the possibility that she could be misread but she didn't think he was that stupid. Jesse still had her heart and was breaking it for the nth time and she was pretty sure she's more in love him that she had ever been and that pissed her off. She was mad at herself for all the wrong choices she had made.

"Okay," Matt nodded and walked back into the bar.

She and Jesse stayed in silence. He looked like his mind was going a hundred miles an hour and didn't seem like he was going to answer her.

"So, you kissed me 'cause you were jealous?" she asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. He curtly nodded at the obvious and looked down at his feet.

"I kissed you 'cause I thought you missed me as much as I have," she shrugged.

"I was with you yesterday," he glanced up.

"You know that is not what I mean," she chuckled humorlessly.

"Beca," he called in an apologetic tone.

"You know what? It's fine. I probably deserve this for all the shit I pulled in my previous relationships," she sighed.

"What shit?" Jesse frowned. He didn't know about what she started calling the mark syndrome. If she had to define the mark syndrome, she'd say that it's the need to bail after hitting a certain mark in a relationship.

He didn't get an answer, he just got a look that made him want to hug her and never let go. He didn't act on what he wanted because he could also see how angry she was and hoped that she was angry enough to stop hanging out at the bar.

"Please, never come near my face again because you're jealous. Jealousy isn't a good enough excuse," she said as she walked past him and back inside and ran into Chloe.

"Jesus, you really are mad," Chole said, stopping Beca then looked behind her when Jesse walked in as well. He barely looked at them as he walked past them and made his way behind the bar.

"Chloe, do me a favor and go get me a round of shots," Beca said as she eyed Jesse.

"Yeah, sure, okay," she nodded, following her friend's gaze and figuring that Beca was mad at Jesse.

"We're talking about this later," Chloe gestured between the both of them and turned on her heels when Beca nodded.

"I know you're still mad but I just wanna apologize. I was being a moron and didn't read you right—"

"—Apology accepted. Never do it again," she cut him off.

"Cool," Matt sighed a sigh of relief.

* * *

 **Next day.**

"Still alive?" Chole asked as she leaned against the bathroom doorway and eyed Beca whose head was in the toilet.

"I'm dying," Beca gagged but nothing came out.

Chloe sighed as she straightened up and walked to her friend to help her up. Chloe tucked a lock of Beca's damp her behind her ear once she was on her feet.

"You should dry your hair," she said, watching Beca rub her temples, "and get dressed because we're going out," she said, stretching the word because.

"No, my head hurts. I only got up and showered because I smelled like puke— did I puke in my hand last night?"

"And you refused to go wash," Chloe grimaced. "You just wipe it off with your shirt," she glanced at the shirt that was on the floor.

"I'm gonna go back to bed," Beca adjusted her bathrobe.

"You're not spending the day in bed," Chloe got out of the bathroom and walked to Beca's bed and took a seat.

"We're having breakfast with Amy and Stacie," she informed her.

"When are you going back to L.A, again?" Beca asked as she stepped into her bedroom.

"Shut up, you know you want to go out," she rested her hands on the bed.

Beca miraculously managed to get dressed and was trying really hard to focus enough to do her makeup in front of the mirror.

"Let me," Chloe said and took the eyeliner from her hand. "Sit down, please," she added.

Beca took a seat on the toilet and let Chloe do her makeup.

"Voilà," Chloe said once she finished. "You no longer look like a dead person," she beamed eyeing her work.

"Thanks, red," Beca got up and look at herself in the mirror to check herself out and liked what she saw.

"Beca, it's cloudy outside," Chloe said when Beca wore her sunglasses.

"It's too bright," Beca push it up and grabbed her cellphone and bag after she wore her coat.

* * *

"Aren't you gonna take off the sunglasses?" Chloe asked once they sat down.

"No," Beca put her bag to her side.

"What happened to you?" Amy asked.

"She drank the equivalent of her body water in alcohol," Stacie answered her.

"I'm so hungover," Beca groaned, holding her head.

"Don't worry Amy got you," Amy said.

"Why are you referring to yourself in the third person?" Beca asked, lifting her head a little and saw that Amy was looking at the waiter who was coming to take their order.

She ordered a cup of black coffee and rested her head on the table, zoning out. She greatly regretted getting hammered despite how right it sounded the night before.

* * *

"Thanks," Beca thanked the waiter once he placed down her coffee. She brought it to her lips then grimaced when Amy placed a smoothie in front of her.

"Trust me," Amy placed scrambled eggs in front of her as well.

"Animo acids," she pointed at the eggs. "Potassium," she pointed at the smoothie. "They will help you unlike coffee."

"What's in it," Beca nodded at the drink.

"You won't drink it if you knew," Amy laid back and pulled a plate of bacon to her.

Beca put down her coffee and hesitantly reached for the smoothie. She pinched her nose to avoid gagging at the smell and forced herself to drink it.

She was pleasantly surprised by the taste.

"So?" Chloe asked.

"It actually tastes good," she tilted her head to look at Amy. "What's in it?"

"Dates, bananas, some salad greens, and yogurt. Bumper drinks it. I was never hungover so I just took his word for it's efficiency."

Beca nodded slowly, envying her friend. She pulled the eggs to her and tried to eat them then reached for her phone when it rang. "Hello?" she said picking up.

 _"Good morning. Um, am I speaking with Beca Mitchell?"_

"This is she," Beca put down the fork and leaned against her seat.

 _"Cool. It's Mae. You gave me your card and said to call you today."_

Beca frowned trying to recall doing so.

 _"You said something about recording a demo."_

Her words didn't help jog Beca's memory.

 _"Um, well, you were drunk. I guess, I should have figured that you weren't serious,"_ she chuckled humorlessly. _"Sorry for disturbing you, bye."_

"No, wait. Tell me what I said because I really don't remember," Beca rubbed her forehead.

 _"You said that you liked my voice and wanted to hear an original then offered to produce a song yourself when I told you that I have written some songs and poems."_

Beca finally started to remember. The images in her head were vague but they supported what the young adult was telling her. She also remembered that Chloe shut her up when she tried to offer Mae a record deal.

"You working today?" Beca asked.

 _"My shift doesn't end until 5 pm. I'm free then."_

Beca glanced at her watch and saw that it was nearly 10 am.

"Okay."

 _"People don't start showing up this early, you can come if you want."_

"You sure your boss would be okay with that?"

 _"Yeah, yeah, as long as we clean up before noon, he's cool."_

"Well, then I'll be there in an hour."

 _"Great."_

Beca considered asking her if Jesse was then decided against it. Even if he was there, she wasn't going to see him.

"Who are bailing on us for?" Chloe asked once Beca ended the phone call. "Mae. Thanks for not letting me offer her a record deal. I kinda need to be sober to make a decision like that."

"You're going to the bar?" Stacie figured.

Beca nodded, "I wanna see what she had written."

"You sure that's the only reason you're going there?" Amy snorted and Stacie's question. Beca narrowed her eyes at her friends but they couldn't see thanks to the shades she was wearing.

* * *

After promising that she wouldn't be away for long, Beca headed to the bar to meet up with Mae. She no longer felt like dying: The smoothie and eggs made a difference.

Beca removed her sunglasses once she set foot in the bar and took a look around and smiled when Mae noticed her.

"You really came," she placed the glass, that she was drying, under the bar.

"I said I would," Beca shrugged and walked to the bar then hopped on a stool.

"Can I get you anything? Coffee isn't bad, Jesse made it—sometimes I feel like he makes for himself."

"I'll have a glass of water, thanks," Beca said.

"I'm gonna go get my notebook, I'll be right back." She put a glass full of tap water in front of Beca.

"Okay," Beca took a sip then put it down.

"What are you doing here?" she heard Jesse asked.

"Relax, you're not why I'm here," she said as she followed a pattern on the wooden counter with her finger. She looked up when placed liquor bottles on the bar.

"It's too early to drink," he said as he placed the bottles on the shelf on the wall.

"Tell that to yourself," she checked him out when he extended his arm, exposing his back in the process.

"What made you think that I'd be drinking this early?"

"The bottle of beer stuffed into your back pocket." Over the days, Beca noticed the habit he developed.

Jesse subconsciously reached behind him and closed his eyes when he didn't find anything.

He turned to face her and saw the knowing look in her eyes. She was about to talk when she heard Mae say, "some aren't _show-a-record-producer_ good and are just me messing around."

"It's fine," Beca shrugged and took the notebook that was handed to her by Mae. "Well, I'll get back to you in like an hour. You won't even notice me," she opened the notebook and put it on the bar.

"Please, take your time," Mae told her and continued to sort out glasses.

Beca rested her elbow on the counter, her cheek resting on the palm of her hand then started to go through the songs.

She made mental notes before she closed it and looked up.

"What do you think?" Mae asked, glancing up and noticing that Beca had finished.

What did she think? She was sold. The girl's got talent as a lyricist and vocalist. But if she picked anything from what Mr. Author(The director of A&R that she was going to replace once he retired who also happened to be Matt's father) had taught her, it would be; To never let the artist fully see how good they are because they need to stay grounded. And, also to not look desperate. She was desperate but she was also good at keeping a stoic expression. "I like these." She loved them. The songs topics weren't generic but had catchy enough hooks and choruses that with the right production would entertain a lot of people.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw how Jesse was smirking. He knew that she was just putting a front. He shook his head and went to clean some tables.

"Great," Mae beamed. "Which one d'you wanna produce?" she asked.

"Chained up," Beca answered quickly. She related to the song and picked it right after reading it.

"I wrote that like 4 months ago, and didn't go back to it to work on a melody," she said apologetically.

"I'll figure that part out. It's my job," Beca smiled at her. "I'll contact you next week to schedule discuss how we gonna do this."

"Oh, wow, okay," Mae nodded. "If you wanna keep the notebook, it's fine," she added when Beca got on her feet.

"No need for that," Beca pulled her cell phone and tapped on the camera icon then looked for the song and snaped a picture of the chosen song. "I just need this," she put down the notebook and showed Mae the picture she took before she picked the glass of water and finished it. Beca stuffed her hand in her coat's pocket and pulled the dollar bills and change that were in it.

"We don't charge for water," Mae told her.

"I know," Beca nodded, taking a 20$ bill from her her hand and putting in the tip jar. "We'll be in touch," she said to Mae then turned on her heels. She felt Jesse's gaze on her so she looked his way and just nodded curtly to which he smiled to tightly.

* * *

 **AN:** Sorry 'bout the cliffhanger. I'm really glad you're enjoying reading this as much I'm enjoying writing it. I look forward to reading your thoughts on this chapter.

I know that certain stuff didn't get explained or addressed and I want you to know that there's a reason and that I'll get back to them when time is due.


	19. Chapter 19

_**a week later.**_

Beca was half asleep in a meeting. She could hardly stayed focused or keep herself from yawning despite having had two cups of coffee.

She was so pumped about the fact that she was producing a song after so long: she spent the night working on the demo that she and Mae had discussed. They went through the basic, what Mae wanted and Beca tried to translate it into music. She ditched the music equipment and went for an old school approach: composing and playing it on a keyboard.

Getting back to making music felt great but it was also tiresome because, since it was a mere demo and had nothing to do with the label, she was doing in her free time.

A nudge woke her from her semi-sleep.

"Shit," she murmured, realizing that she had actually started to fall asleep.

"Were you up all night?" Matt leaned in so that he could whisper into her ear. She nodded then accepted the cup of coffee he handed her. "I got it right before they called us in."

"Thanks," she took a sip.

"You think all this is pep talk for you gonna be out of job in a few months?" he asked.

"I'm pretty sure that's the case," she whispered back. "Otherwise, why would they send an executive from L.A?" she sat up and tried to catch up with what going on in the meeting between departments directors and the executive.

He was bullshitting them and that's all she picked up. The moment he broke the news of the "high" possibility of cutting off the NYC branch all hell broke loose. Everyone was trying to have a say and it seemed to her that she was the only one who understood that they actually stood a chance.

From all the charts and bullshit they were presented with, it was clear that if they pulled their shit together and made some profits they won't get cut off.

"Guys," she called, looking between her co-workers. "Guys," she raised her voice a little and stood up. Matt and the executive were the only ones that acknowledged her.

Matt took a deep breath then brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled very loudly to get their attention. Beca covered her ears as the whistling was too close to her. "What were you saying?" Matt looked up at Beca once they all gave him the attention Beca wanted.

"Yeah," she paused, resting her hands on the table. "Tell me, sir," she tilted her head to look at the executive, "how much money do we need to make to keep this branch going?" she asked.

"Humor me," she added when he scoffed.

"A couple of millions," he said.

"And how much time we have?" she asked.

"We can't just let you go—"

"—you want us to quit so that you won't have to give us more money?" Matt cut him off.

"Cutting off an entire branch isn't easy. It takes time," he pretended to not have heard Matt.

"So, you're here today to give us a heads-up?" Beca asked.

"If you want to put it that way," he nodded then paused thinking of approximately how much time they have before they let them all go. "seven months from now the decision would be finalized."

"So, we have seven months to make 2 million dollars otherwise we're out of jobs?" Beca asked.

He apologetically nodded.

"That's impossible. We never made that much in 7 months!" one of the employee's exclaimed, cuing for chaos to take place and end the meeting.

Beca followed the executive when he exited the room. "You can't be serious with the 2 million dollars. This branch doesn't have the resources to distribute on a large scale: no way we'll make that much money."

"You saw the charts. This is the weakest branch. Believe me, this isn't an easy decision," he pushed the button for the elevator.

"You make changes when something isn't working. You don't cut it off," she stepped inside the elevator with him while she eyed him. "There's something else, isn't there?" she asked. "What didn't you tell us?" she questioned, confident that he was hiding something.

"Why do you care some much about this? Aren't you transferring back to L.A. Ms. Mitchell?"

"Tell me what are you guys planning to do?" she rephrased her questioned. "I won't tell the others, as you said, I'm leaving," she shrugged.

He sighed, "the plan isn't to just cut this branch," he paused. "It's more like fire everyone, give this branch a new name, and hire new people."

"That's why you set a high number," she ran her fingers through her hair.

"It's a lost cause, Ms. Mitchell," he said, watching her.

"If we made like 250 thousand in say 4 months from now, you think we could get headquarters to help us distribute? Like give us money to distribute?" she asked.

"If you make that by new year's eve, I will make a case for you," he said.

"That's less than 2 months from now" she exclaimed, steeping in front of the door to keep him from existing the elevator.

"We can't put more money in this place. It's like water though sand," he said, showing great sympathy in his tone.

Beca nodded then made way for him get out of the elevator before she leaned against the wall.

Signing multiple artists wasn't an option: they can't invest money they don't have. She thought about Emily and Bumper, they were both recording artists with decent fame but they were both signed to different labels. Legally speaking, it would a pain in the ass to get the to record something for her label.

The people currently signed under her watch weren't well known enough to make her 250 thousand dollars in 2 months.

"There you are," Matt said, spotting Beca as she made her way out of the elevator. "Where did you go?" he curiously asked.

"I was with the exec," she told him. "And, dude, we're fucked." She started to make her way to her office.

"What d'he say?"

"Please, don't tell the others," she said pushing the door to her office.

"I've known about the shut down for months, Beca, and didn't tell anyone," he reminded.

"They are going to fire everyone working here, get new people, and give it a new name." she took a seat on her office chair.

"Are they like redecorating a house?" he chuckled.

"Matt this is pretty serious, it'd be great if you didn't joke about it," she rested her elbows on the desk and held her head.

"Why do you care? I don't get it," he sat down. "You don't even know people working here," he shrugged.

"I just do," she answered. She cared because she felt that if she didn't at least try to do something it would mean that she failed. And, Beca Mitchell didn't do failure. She had a weak moment when she considered quiting but talking to Chloe helped.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked her.

"I'm trying to think of something that wouldn't cost us much money and make us profit," she looked up.

"Vegas?" he suggested in amusement. "Imagine we hit a jackpot," he added to which she rolled her eyes.

"Hey you could sign yourself," he suggested after a beat.

"Matt, I'm gonna kick you out my office if you don't stop," she said in irritation.

"No, I'm serious," he sat up. "You're like an A cappella god, right?" Beca nodded at his question. "Think of all the a cappella nerds that would buy your music."

"They won't go for it," she shook her head.

"Why?"

"First, I haven't been in the spotlight in years. Second, it wasn't just me: I'm part of a group and in a cappella you can't do a solo work."

"Then get your team to record an album," he exclaimed in excitement.

"You think that could work?" she asked, intrigued by his proposition.

"We let out a word in the a cappella community that your group is thinking of making one last record together or something. You could arrange a song, record it and out on Spotify and ITunes. We see if they want more and if they did you make an album with your friends and relive your _glory_ days," he shrugged.

"I need to see if the girls are up for this," she grabbed her phone and tapped on her messaging app and looked for the Bellas group chat that hasn't been active in a while.

"We won't make 2 million dollars, that's for sure, but it's a start, right?" Matt said watching Beca type a text.

"Yeah. I have this side project too," she looked up after sending out the text and told him about Mae.

* * *

 _ **A month later.**_

Back when Beca handed Emily the pitch pipe, she thought that she'd never arrange a song for the Bellas ever again. She thought wrong because after texting her friends and explaining the situation to them they were all more than happy to help her out. Even Emily, who managed with the help of her legal team to find a way to that let her sign a record deal outside the label she was signed to as long as it's not solo work. Beca made an arrangement that consisted of a mashup of songs from different genere and made sure to only include songs property to her label to avoid legal issues. the Bellas flew over to New York and recorded the song with her and for her.

Their song blew up online and A Cappella fans wanted more of them. Beca didn't want to jinx it but it was a very good start.

On the other hand, the demo Beca collaborated on with Mae went well and Beca was positive that signing Mae was a great decision.

* * *

It was thanksgiving, the Bellas all flew to New York to celebrate it with Beca. She was trying to keep it together but the pressure of working on two albums at once was eating her up.

She couldn't let other producers work on these projects because; a- they didn't know how a cappella worked. b- Mae's a newbie and she needs to guide her through everything. c- she green lit for the people working under her watch to work on personal projects that they later give to artists who are previously signed to the label which meant they were all busy trying to keep their jobs.

Chloe saw how her friend was struggling and got the Bellas to travel to NYC to be with their friend because she needed them.

"What are you doing?" Stacie asked when she walked on Beca, sitting on her bed, holding a notebook and a pen.

"I just thought of melody for this," she tapped her finger on a page then put the notebook down along with the pen and started playing on her keyboard.

"Beca, we're having dinner in like 20 minutes, you should be helping out," she walked to her friend and took the notebook from Beca.

"For which album is this?" she asked.

"ours," Beca answered. "Em wrote that," she gestured at the notebook.

"Okay," Stacie closed it. "You're overworked," she put the notebook on the nightstand. "I mean, look at the bags under your eyes."

"Stacie, I need to make 250 thousand dollars by New Year's eve."

"You won't live to make that if you keep going like this," she gave her hand to Beca who took it and got up. "People are buying the mashup like crazy, it's making its way to the top in the charts and people are waiting for more. You will make that much if not more," she gave her one sided hug as they walked out of the room.

"Whoa, this is a lot of food," Beca said in surprise as she eyed the table that somehow her friends managed to set in her small living area.

"For one person: hell yeah. For 8 adult women: about right," Stacie shrugged.

Beca took a look around her apartment and couldn't help but smile at ambiance; Chloe, Amy and Emily were in the kitchenette singing as they decorate muffins for dessert. Cynthia-Rose, who drove all the way from Maine when she couldn't find a flight, was in a corner yelling at the girls to keep it quiet so that should could have a word on the phone, with who Beca had guessed was her wife. Flo and Lily were setting the table unfazed by the yelling/ singing going on in the apartment.

"I'm _so_ gonna get noise complains," Beca sighed, watching Stacie pace to the kitchen and join the others as they started singing Wannabe By Spice Girls and rolled her eyes when they looked at her expectantly when they got to the chorus before she joined them.

After getting dessert done, they sat around the table to have dinner.

"We may not be as close as we were in college but you're here when I needed you," she paused to clear her throat. "You really are my family," she added. "And I love you very much," she looked down at her plate.

"I'd let you finish the last slice of cheesecake, BM," Fat Amy affectionate said.

"Thanks Amy," Beca chuckled, looking up and putting her fork down, before crossing her arms. "I'm thankful for having you, awesome nerds," Beca smiled, looking between her former teammates and current best friends. Beca's smile turned into a grin when Chloe threw her arm around her shoulder and pulled her into her embrace while pressing a kiss on her cheek.

Her friends didn't hesitate to help her out and she truly felt lucky and blessed to have them.

"Hey when are you gonna make a music video?" Cynthia Rose casually asked.

"Music video?" Beca frowned.

"Yeah, image sells, Beca," Stacie agreed.

"I know it does but we're running on a tight budget, I can't put money in hiring a director and all the staff that comes with making a music video."

"You don't have to worry about hair and make up," Chloe said after swallowing, "we'll do our hair make up ourselves, right girls?" Chloe beamed when she was met with a chorus of yeahs.

"As for the director, get someone who works in indie stuff. They're cheaper than those who work in the mainstream industry," Amy told her.

Beca thought about it: they could get more publicity by dropping a music video where they do some choreography similar to the ones they did when they were in college. Go for the nostalgic factor.

"I'll start working on getting everything this Monday," Beca took a look around the table. "Where's Lily?" she asked no one in particular.

"She's in the bathroom," Flo answered.

"When did that happen?" Beca wondered. Lily was sitting in a way she'd be facing her.

"She's a ninja," Amy casually told Beca who was checking her phone that chimed with a text from Mae.

 _ **"Is that invitation still standing?"**_

 _ **"Yeah. You should hurry though if you want to eat."**_

 _ **"I'm 10 minutes away."**_

 _ **"Text me when you get here."**_

Beca put down her phone and picked up her fork, resuming dinner.

"Who was that?" Chloe asked.

"Mae," Beca answered as she chewed. "I invited her, 'cause she's working over the holidays, in case she got out of work early."

"Why is she working on thanksgiving?" Stacie asked.

"She's Jewish," Beca answered.

"Why is she still working at the bar when she got signed to your label?" Amy asked.

"That is none of my business. She shows up on time on our meetings and that is all I care about—Can anyone go check on Lily?"

"I'll go," Amy got up started to make her way to the bedroom then walked back, "I'm just gonna grab this first," she neatly grabbed a leg from the turkey.

"Guys, she's not here," Amy said from the bathroom. "Oh, wait, she's on sitting on the door."

"What?" Beca got up and paced to the bathroom and saw for herself that Lily was actually sitting on the door.

"What are you doing up there, weirdo?" she asked. "Why am I even asking?" she murmured to herself. "Do your thing just don't break _anything_ ," she said and walked back into the living area.

* * *

"That's probably Mae," Beca said, hearing the doorbell. She buzzed her in and went back to the table until they heard a knock.

"Hi," Beca smiled unlocking the door.

"I didn't know what to get so I brought red wine," she extended the wine bottle.

"Red wine is awesome, thanks," Beca stepped back and let her in.

"Mae these are my best friends," Beca gestured with her hand at the table. "Chloe, Stacie, Cynthia Rose, Flo, Lily's sitting there and I don't know when she'll be back, Emily, and last but not least Amy."

"Fat Amy," Fat Amy corrected.

"Well, it's a pleasure meeting you all," Mae said as took off her messenger bag and jacket. Amy tapped on the empty chair next to her and nodded for Mae to come.

Beca put the wine on the counter and walked back to the table.

"Your place is ..." Mae trailed off, taking a look around the apartment.

"A size of a shoe-box?" Emily guessed.

"Smaller than mine," Mae finished her sentence.

"Bigger doesn't mean better, trust me," Beca said to her, thinking about her L.A. 4 bedroom apartment.

"Unless, you're talking about dicks," Stacie pointed out.

"We're eating," Beca chocked on her food.

"Everyone on this table except for Cynthia Rose likes dicks." Cynthia Rose nodded in approving what her friend was saying. I thought you didn't but that was ages ago," Stacie casually spoke and was met with agreement from rest of the bellas and an awkward look from Mae.

"Don't look at me like that. You were one pixie cut away from convincing me that you're queer back in freshmen year."

"Les-be-honest, you are a little bit of a dyke," Amy said, taking a sip from her glass of wine.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not," Beca said then tilted her head when Chloe tapped her shoulder. "What—" Beca started to questioned but was shut up by Chloe's lips when she pressed them over hers and pulled her into a deep kiss.

"Girls, that was hot!" Cynthia Rose exclaimed once they pulled away gasping for air. Her comment was followed by hollering from Emily.

"What was that for, weirdo?" Beca asked Chloe.

"To help us prove a point," Stacie answered. "Let's take an outsider's opinion on the situation," she looked at Mae who was looking at Chloe and Beca in amazement.

"Mae, what did you think?"

"I'm gonna be honest, that kiss turned me on." she shrugged.

"I rest my case!" Stacie smugly said as she leaned against her chair.

"You guys are all weird," Beca finally said as she shook her head.

"So are you," Flo told her.

"I'm really sorry you had to see and hear all this," Beca apologized to Mae.

"Are you seriously apologizing? Your squad is goals."

"We consider ourselves a family. Chloe and Beca are the parents," Amy told her.

"What was that?" Mae looked behind her hearing the sound of something hitting the floor from the bedroom.

"Probably Lily doing a superhero landing," Emily was the one to give Mae some insight.

Lily eventually re-joined them when they were cleaning up the table.

"Leftovers are in the fridge," Chloe told Lily who nodded and murmured to herself.

"How did you get out of work early?" Beca asked Mae as she removed the fold down table from the middle of the living area and finally make room for them to walk around.

"Jesse came in early," she replied. "I owe that guy a lot. He has covered for me so many times ever since he got back to working full time."

"Full time?" Beca frowned. Since she was working 24/7 Beca had little to no time to go hang at the bar so she didn't know about Jesse working full time at the bar.

"Yeah, I didn't ask but I think he quit working at the school," she shrugged.

"When did he quit?" Beca asked and watched Mae turn thoughtful.

"Um, like a month ago. Maybe a little more."

Beca thought back at the night she kind of lashed out at him after he kissed her because of his jealousy and how he had a busted hand and wondered if it had anything to do with what Mae had informed her with. She decided to drop by the bar and ask him. His job at the school's important: It's his main source of in come. He couldn't just have quit the job he paid child support from.

"It's getting late," Mae said, breaking Beca's train of thoughts. "I'm gonna get going. I had a great time with you guys," she said loud enough for everyone to hear.

After saying their goodbyes to Mae and finishing with the cleaning, they collectively decided to go to bed.

"I call dibs on Beca's bed," Amy said first.

"No one is sleeping in my bed," Beca announced. "You brought your sleeping bags and there's the couch. I am not sharing my bed."

"I didn't bring a sleeping bag," Chloe grimaced. "Oops, I guess that means we're sharing," she shrugged.

Beca ended up sharing her bed with both Fat Amy and Chloe. Flo claimed the couch while Stacie, Cynthia-Rose and Emily slept in sleeping bags.

They could have been sleeping comfortably if they had just booked rooms in hotels like normal people, but they all wanted to spend the night under the same roof like they did back in college.

* * *

Beca barely got any sleep, not because of Amy's arm that was on her waist or Chloe that was humming a song in her sleep, but because of what Mae had told her. She hated that she cared so much about Jesse. A bar-tending job wasn't enough to support a child with the ridiculously high cost of living in New York. For him to keeping the child support checks coming he would have to give up on basically everything with his main income coming from working as a bartender.

She spent the night thinking of how she could help him and not seem like she's pitying him then as she her eyes fell on her keyboard on the floor along with her music sheets and notebook she got an idea that she couldn't wait for the morning to come to go see Jesse and tell him about it.

Beca waited until a reasonable hour before she went to the bar to talk to Jesse who she hadn't heard from in more than a month.

Walking in, she saw him standing behind the bar drumming a pen on a piece of paper.

"Morning," he said, glancing up when he heard her come in. "Bec?" he looked up, double checking.

"Good morning, Jesse," she hopped on a stool. "Is that a piece you're working on?" she asked, leaning forward to read.

"No," he chuckled humorlessly. "I'm trying to find ways to save money," he told her.

"Cut the alcohol from your budget," she dryly said, sitting back.

He looked up from the piece of paper and stopped drumming the pen. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I need you for work," she said. "I decided to work with a composer on Mae's studio album and you're the only composer I know."

"Yeah, thanks but I don't think I'm what you're looking for. I'm more of none-lyrical kind of a composer in case you haven't noticed," he resumed drumming the pen.

"And, I don't have the time nor the will to work on creating music."

"Well, I don't need you to work with me per se..." she trailed off when he frowned.

"You lost me there."

"You have written a lot of pieces that are just laying in your apartment. I want to buy them."

"You gonna take my scores and slap some lyrics on them? Beca, it doesn't work that way."

"Leave that part for me," she rested her arms on the counter. "I know exactly what I want to do with your work. What do you say, 77 bucks per piece and you get composer credit which means you will get money later?"

"How many are you buying?" he rested his hands on the counter.

"How many do you have for sale?" she asked back.

"I'd say more than a 100," he shrugged. "You can come after work to my place and hand pick them."

"How about we discuss a freelance contract first?"

"Okay," he agreed. "Wanna a cup of coffee?" he asked. "I just made it," he added.

"Sure," she shrugged.

* * *

 **AN:** I should have waited until I could bring myself to proofread but I don't think that's gonna happen soon. If you notice a typo then I'm sorry and will eventually come around to re-reading and correcting shitty grammar and typos.

I hope you enjoy reading this. I'd like to hear thoughts.

Stay awes.

Peace out.


	20. Chapter 20

"Sorry, I'm late," Beca said as she took a seat.

"It's fine," Jesse put his phone aside. "I didn't even notice."

"Angry birds, nice," she said, glancing at his phone.

"It's a good game," Jesse shrugged, watching Beca place a folder on the table.

"I got here late because mom forgot to e-mail me the contract," she pushed it his way. Beca had her mother work on the contract to gain some time. Having an attorney for a parent had it perks.

"Everything we talked about is in it. — I did make one change," she paused. "Mom pointed out that, and I quote, 'making all scores have the same price is stupid. Charging per page is what you got to do.' She forgot to tell me that she changed that part in the contract until I called her this morning to see why she hasn't e-mailed it yet. Read it and you don't have to sign it right away," she told him when he opened the folder.

"It's fine. I know you won't trick me into anything," he grabbed a pen and signed the contract then pushed it her way.

"Pleasure doing business with you," he grabbed his phone got up.

"Where are you going?" she asked. "I didn't make a reservation here to eat by myself."

"I'm not hungry."

"Jesse just sit down, please," she frowned at his attitude. "If it's about the bill—"

"—I can afford to pay for lunch," he said slightly defensive.

"—it's on me 'cause I arranged this _work lunch_ ," she finished her phrase. If he was trying to get on her nerves, it was working. "Dude, if you can't stand being in the same place as me you can go ahead and leave, I won't make you stay against your will."

"I'm sorry," he apologized and sat down while rubbing his forehead. "I didn't mean to come off rude." He stuffed his hands inside his pockets and leaned against his chair.

"What's wrong, Jesse?" she asked. He didn't look at her so she figured she'd apologize for the night she yelled at him. "For what it is worth," she paused, playing with the napkin. "I wanna apologize for yelling at you. I thought about it and, as much as I hate admit it, I'd probably lose my shit if I saw you with kiss someone in front of me," she shrugged, eyes still on the napkin she was playing with. She felt his gaze and didn't have the guts to look up.

"I know I hurt you that night and it's been eating me up to see you pretend like you're fine _being in the same place as me_ because of work," he let out a heavy sigh. "Let's order shall we?" he asked, grabbing the menu. "Yeah, I think I'm gonna get water," he mumbled after a beat.

"It's my treat, order whatever you want, Jess," Beca grabbed the other menu.

"It's not that," he scratched his beard. "I wanna get pasta but I will embarrass myself if I say any of these out loud," he said as he read some of the Italian dishes.

Beca glanced up when he put the menu down.

"I'll take whatever you gonna order," he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"I'm feeling some Ziti with chicken, broccoli in an alfredo sauce."

"Sounds good to me," he shrugged.

* * *

"So, explain to me, what are going to do exactly?" he asked when the waiter placed down their order.

"I'm gonna work around your scores to create new tracks that I can make lyrical songs with. Having source martial will help me gain some time," she briefly explained.

"Isn't it risky to do that?" he asked.

"It is: I've never done this before," she played with her food, "but I think I could make it work," she confidently said.

"I'd wish you good luck but I know you don't need it," he smiled at her and watched her chuckle softly and shake her head before looking up to meet his gaze.

"You know," she paused, "this is second time you and I have had lunch at a restaurant?"

"First time was when I asked you out on a lunch- _ **not** -date _to go over your list of rules."

"We broke most of those rules," she couldn't keep the smile off of her face as she thought of the said rooming up rules.

"And this time it's a work lunch," he said to which she nodded.

"We dated for a month and I never took you out to a decent restaurant," he said in realization. "I was a really shitty boyfriend."

"We had different schedules," she shrugged.

"Yeah," he sighed. "When do you wanna drop by my place to take the scores?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Tomorrow is Saturday," she paused, "10 am?"

"10 am is good," he nodded then looked behind Beca. "Uh-oh."

"What are you looking at?" she asked tilting her head.

"That dude wearing a beanie," he paused.

"Yeah?"

"He's gonna propose. Look at his hand, it's under the table, he's holding a box."

"They look really young," Beca said eyeing the couple.

"Someone should go stop him—too late."

"Shut up," Beca told him as she watched the guy that looked like he's still in college get down on one knee.

"Idiot," Jesse dryly said.

"They look happy," Beca glanced at Jesse for a second before continuing to watch the guy pour his heart out to his girlfriend who was in tears.

"You think they even know how hard it is to be married?" he asked. "I wish someone would have told me," he added when she looked back ahead of her when the girl said yes and everyone cheered then moved on.

"They're young and stupid," she shrugged. "But if they're right for each other they'll figure it out," she grabbed her fork and went back to eating.

"Deep," he grabbed his glass of water and took a sip.

"Excuse me, I have to answer this," Beca told Jesse when she held up her phone when it rang.

"Go for it," he said.

"Hello, yeah," she paused listening to the other person. "I sent you an e-mail explaining the date change like two days after you agreed," she rubbed her forehead in irritation. "What do you mean you spammed it by mistake?" she cut herself off, realizing that she was going to start yelling. "So, you're dropping out?" she asked. "Yeah, okay. Bye," she hung up the phone and tossed it on the table, huffing.

"Is everything okay?" Jesse cautiously asked.

"I have this music video to shoot and the director just dropped out," she told him, resting her elbows on the table and holding her head.

"Oh, Mae told me about this," he nodded recalling. "Organized nerd singers getting back together," he said in amusement.

"Jesse, I'd appreciate it if you didn't make fun of me 'cause I'm really pissed off right now. The shooting in a week and I don't have a director."

"Sorry," he apologized and frowned when Beca looked up and had a weird look on her face.

"What?" he arched an eyebrow.

"You minored in film-making, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "No," he shook his head when figured why she asked.

"Jesse, I have so much work and I really can't spend time looking for a director that wouldn't charge a lot."

"I haven't directed anything apart from some school projects. I have no actual experience."

"Do I look like I know what I'm doing? Because I really don't," she shrugged. "I'm _winging_ it," she told him, repeating what he once told her in a fight about how she winged everything she did. "But somehow I managed to run a department without having any experience."

"Okay, I was mad when I said that you wing everything and I was going to apologize—"

"Sh-sh-sh, I'm talking business now," she paused. "Jesse, I need you to level with me."

Jesse nodded.

"I don't care if you don't know what you're doing. I know that you will try to do a good job and that is enough for me. We already worked up the concept and everything I just need you to call the shots and direct."

A beat passed as Jesse thought about what she was offering him. She looked really desperate and she was desperate since she was asking an inexperienced loser to direct a music video for her.

"Okay," he nodded. "I'll do it."

"Thanks, Jesse," she sighed a sigh of relief. "You really saved me a lot of time," she rested her hands on the table.

"You did too," he replied then added, "thanks to this gig and the scores thingy I won't have to work extra hours nor worry about next month's child support check."

"You still haven't told me why you quit teaching," she told him as she brought a forkful of pasta to her mouth.

"That's because I didn't quit," he ran his fingers through his hair. "I got fired."

"You got what?" she stopped chewing.

"They _let me go._ "

"Why? What did you do?" she questioned.

"I punched a teacher."

"What did he do?" she arched an eyebrow.

"He's a disgusting piece of human trash: he wanted me to help him get a couple underage girls into the bar then take advantage of them."

"And, you're the one that got fired?" she questioned in disbelief.

"Well, he denied it and claimed that I'm the creep. Add that to the fact that smelled like alcohol 'cause I didn't shower that day and how I've been acting 'different'," he used air quotation. "They kicked me out of there."

"They can't do that," she reached for her phone. "I'm gonna call Gordon and get you your job back," she unlocked the screen.

"Please, don't," he reached for her hand and put his over hers.

"Jesse, I got the job for you I can get it back," she said, eyeing his hand.

"You got me the job and I'm very thankful you did," he squeezed her free hand. "But I will not go back there because my ex-girlfriend pulled some strings. Please, don't make me that guy," he held her gaze until she nodded.

"Okay, I won't."

"Thank you," he withdrew his hand then looked at the time.

"You got somewhere to be?" Beca asked.

"I'm seeing Sam," he informed her.

"Okay, lemme get the check," she put her phone down and looked around for the waiter before making a signature sign when he met her gaze.

"How is that little peanut?" she asked.

"Not so little anymore."

"Sandra?"

"She's fine," he replied after a beat as he looked away from her.

Beca nodded and decided not to ask anything else regarding his ex-wife seeing how uncomfortable he got. She wanted to do something about his guilt but she knew that he wouldn't let her which was frustrating.

She paid for lunch and they started to make their way to the subway station.

"What kind of person choses to wear a jacket on a day like this?" Beca asked, watching Jesse blow in his palms before rubbing them together as they waited in the subway station.

"I'm not cold," he told her.

"You're cold," she disagreed. "I'm wearing a coat and I'm still cold."

"Maybe consider wearing like a sweater instead of a v neck?" his eyes fell on her chest.

"I have a meeting later and I want to seal the deal," she buttoned her coat.

"How does showing cleavage help seal deals?" he asked.

"It doesn't per se," she shrugged. "But when the dude looks down at my chest I get to play the I'm-getting-objectified-and-not-taken-seriously-because-I'm-a-woman card. He denies it and lets me have it my way."

"So you manipulated people into doing what you want?"

"No," she shook her head, "I get things done."

"Were you planning on using this card on me?" he asked.

"You're good at not getting caught staring," she winked at him. "It wouldn't have worked."

"You suck at not getting caught," he told her.

"That's because I don't care anymore," she shrugged. "That's you," she nodded at the subway.

"Yep," he tilted his head.

"I'll see you tomorrow, I guess?" Beca said.

"10 am," he extended his arm and pulled her into a hug. "I know it was a work lunch but I want you to know that I enjoyed it," he told her. She looked up when he was going to pull away and kissed him.

"Shit, I'm sorry," she stepped away from him and closed her eyes. "Or you know what?" she looked at him. "I'm not sorry. I'm still attracted to you, a lot. It's annoying, actually, because you look like shit most of the time."

"I'm not asking you to apologize. It's fine. We all slip sometimes," he gave her a weak smile and turned on his heels.

"I don't care that you think I deserve better," she said watching him walk away. "I know this must sound pathetic but I really want you back, Jesse," she said, bracing herself for the worse.

"You want to be with an alcoholic unemployed asshole who because of him his baby died?" he asked, admitting for the first time to himself that he truly had a drinking problem, before he turned around to face her.

"You're not unemployed, you're working at a bar," she corrected him.

"That's what you picked?" he chuckled humorlessly.

"I can't do it. I—I can't stop loving you," she admitted. "I'm sorry I turned my back on you instead of explaining why I was running away from you. I hate goodbyes and I didn't want to say goodbye to you again. It scares me to think of how broken I will inevitable be once I leave, which is why I figured breaking it off will make it easier. And, it didn't. It sucks. I want you back drunk and broken. I don't care. I want you back and you can't decided for me because I'm a fucking adult and I can make my own decisions," she sniffed, not sure it was because of the weather or because she was getting emotional.

She ready to get turned down. She had a lot of things to worry about and had had enough of ignoring the pain in her chest. Rejection sucked but she was willing to swallow her pride and ask for a second chance.

"You have a really bad sense of judgement, Bec," he cleared his throat and walked back to her. "It's all those pot brownies you keep eating, they fucked up your nervous system," he said as he stood in front of her.

"Jesse—" He cut her off with a tender kiss.

Pulling away, he stroked her cheek. She was so prepared for rejection that she couldn't believe what he did.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Now, you go see your daughter," she leaned up and kissed him and grinned when he didn't let her pull away by cupping her face.

He missed the subway but it was worth it. Breaking the kiss, he wrapped her in his arms and hugged her tightly. He tried to let her go but it was working. It just made him miserable. He still thought she could do better. She deserved better. But if being apart was hurting her so much, he wasn't going to keep pushing her away. Letting her go was way harder than he thought.

"This is real, right?" he asked. She nodded into his chest, tightly wrapping her arms around his waist. Hearing a subway, Jesse tilted his head to see its number. "Bec, it's number 4," he told her as he looked at the subway. She took a moment then removed herself from his hold.

"Thanks for taking me back," she looked around them. "It would have been humiliating if you didn't," she said, meeting his gaze.

Jesse chuckled in spite of himself and leaned in placing a kiss on her cheek then he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Would you run away if I start singing?" he playfully asked, knowing that she had to leave but didn't want to.

"Bye," she started to make her way to the subway.

* * *

 _ **The next day.**_

Jesse set the alarm clock and didn't hear it. He woke up hearing the doorbell. "Shit," he mumbled, getting up to answer the door. "Yeah?" he said pressing the button to speak to the person who rang the bell.

 _"It's me."_

He smiled hearing Beca's voice and buzzed her in then took a look around his apartment. He set the alarm on 7:30 am to get up and clean up the place.

"Shit," he ran his fingers through his hair then walked to the coffee table and grabbed as many empty liquor bottles he could hold and tossed them in the trashcan.

He paced to the front door when she knocked and unlocked it.

"Morning," he stepped back and let her in.

"Did I wake you up?" she asked, taking in his apparence.

"Yeah," he nodded, "I didn't hear my alarm clock when it went off," he pulled her into a brief hug. "I haven't brushed my teeth yet," he placed a kiss on her temple.

"I don't care," she cupped his face and kissed him then frowned at the strong taste and smell of whiskey. "When did you go to bed?" she asked.

"Late," he answered vaguely because he didn't know when he fell asleep. "Um, why don't you start on the scores while I go have a shower?" he asked taking her hand.

"Okay," she nodded and let him lead her to his bedroom.

"Where's Bender?" she asked as she looked around.

"He's sleeping," he told her. She saw the dog that was in deep slumber on the bed.

"He's adorable," she smiled eyeing the dog.

"Yep," Jesse squeezed her hand. "There's that pile over there," he nodded at a pile on the floor.

She nodded and let go of his hand. She unbuttoned her coat and put it on the bed while he went to the bathroom to shower. Beca sat down on the floor and grabbed the music sheets and started reading them and humming them to herself. She looked up when Bender woke up.

"Hey buddy," she grinned when he jumped off of the bed and started barking.

"C'mere boy," she tapped the floor. He ran up to her and let her pet him. She gave up on reading and put the sheets aside to give Bender her full attention.

Bender bailed the moment Jesse stepped out of the bathroom.

"Look who's up," Jesse grinned, looking at his dog while towel drying his hair.

Beca frowned eyeing Jesse. He lost more weight than she thought.

"C'mon, let's get some food in before you do it yourself," he said to Bender and started making his way out of the bedroom and came back less than a minute later. Beca busied herself with the music sheets so that she wouldn't awkwardly watch Jesse get dressed and looked up when he sat down next to her.

"Found anything you like?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "You're really good at making scores," she told him.

"Thanks," he smiled at her.

"I'm taking them all," she told him.

"You gonna use them all?" he asked.

"Nope. But I'm buying them all."

"Beca, if this is you doing charity—"

"—these are good. I wanna buy them to use them for future projects," she interrupted him and grabbed another sheet to read.

"Aren't you gonna go eat something?" she asked him.

"Nope," he scratched the back of his neck.

"Right, you're hungover," she nodded.

"Please, don't," he sighed.

"If you have eggs make some scrambled eggs they help," she said after a beat.

"I'm out of grocery," he informed. "Wanna tag along when I go buy some later?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she shrugged.

"I thought you'd drop by at work, last night," he scouted closer to her.

"I was gonna but then I remembered that I slept for exactly 3 hours so went home to catch some sleep."

"You don't look like you slept well last night," he said, watching her yawn.

"That's because I didn't," she sighed. "My neighbor had a party last night at his place."

Jesse watched her for a few seconds then got up. "You can read those later," he told her and extended his hand.

"Where are we going?" she asked, taking his hand and standing up.

"You gonna catch some much needed sleep," he told her as walked them to his bed.

"You serious?" she arched her eyebrows.

"Yeah," he shrugged and climbed on the bed. "Take off your shoes."

Beca kicked off her shoes and got on the bed. "C'mere," he grinned at her extending his arms, inviting her into his embrace.

She hummed snuggling up to him when he wrapped her in his arms. "You smell nice," he rested his cheek on her head.

"You too," she told him, resting her hand on his torso.

"I'm so happy you're here," he tightened his hold and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"I'm happy you let me be here," she replied, leaning up to kiss him. He smiled and kissed her tenderly while stroking her hair.

He was reluctant and she felt it when she cupped his cheek and brought him closer. She wanted more than making out because what were they? teenagers scared of getting caught by her dad?

"Jesse, what's wrong?" she asked finally pulling away when he wouldn't even grab her boob.

"Nothing," he put on very weak smile.

"We both know that's not true," she stroked his cheek then leaned up and placed a kiss on his lips.

"No, really," he insisted.

"Yeah?" she wrapped her arms around his neck. He nodded. She knew he was lying and decided to make him admit. She pulled him into a deep kiss while running her fingers though his hair then pressed herself against him and threw her leg over his.

"Okay, stop," he mumbled, pulling away. He sighed and rubbed his eyes when Beca removed her arms from around his shoulders.

"Jesse, you can tell me," she sat up.

"I don't wanna have sex with you just yet," he told her.

"It can't be physical—"

"—Yeah, no, I'm fine," he cleared his throat. "Um, how do I put this?" he paused. "I wanna learn how to keep it in my pants," he told her. "I want nothing more than to be with you but at the same time I know that part of me will try to push you away again the minute we do have sex. You're too good to be with someone like me, Bec." He buried his face in his hands.

"It's okay," she put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze. "I can wait," she shrugged. "We can hold hands and kiss when no one is looking like 15 year olds," she got on her knees and placed a kiss on the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry," he placed a hand over hers.

"It's okay," she rested her chin on his shoulder. "I'm not in this for sex."

Of course, she'd very much like to fuck his brains out. But she understood where he was coming from and will wait for as long as it takes for him to trust himself to not rail then bail.

"Let's go grocery shopping," she straightened up.

"But what about sleeping?" he asked.

"Too late for that," she sat on the bed and grabbed her shoes. "I had black coffee this morning."

He nodded and got up, looking for his sneakers to wear.

"Amy told me about this smoothie that actually helped with my hangover once," she told him as she wore her coat. "I'll make it for you," she watched him throw a jacket over his t-shirt.

"Dude, you want to get sick?" she asked.

"What?"

"It's cold outside. Really cold."

"I'll be fine," he assured her. "Stop looking at me like that," he chuckled, feeling like his old self. "What do you want me to wear?" he asked.

"Beach shorts— what kind of question is that, Jesse?" she rolled her eyes.

He missed her eye roll and seeing her roll her eyes at him warmed his heart. He walked to her and held her up. "I forgot how unbelievably cute you become when you're annoyed."

"I'm gonna let you off this time 'cause I like your smile," she cupped his face and leaned down to kiss him. She hated being called cute and he usually found ways to tell her that she is just to annoy her.

* * *

 **AN:** What did you guys think of the new turn of events? Any idea what will happen next?

Thank you for reading. Reviews are nice to reads: they're a sort of a validation and let me know if what I'm doing is okay.


	21. Chapter 21

_**AN:**_ Thank you for the feedback. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

 _UPDATE: Are love triangles still a thing? Asking for a friend, obviously._

* * *

"You're up early," Jesse said as he walked out of Beca's bedroom and to the kitchenette where she was sitting on a stool.

"Haven't gone to bed yet," she rotated her neck. "I spent the night working on a track," she rubbed her eyes, nodding at her laptop.

"You shouldn't have pulled an all nighter," he breathed heavily through his nose. "So, this is a mix of our work?" he asked, resting both his arms on the counter from behind her while he eyed the screen. "I do not understand one thing from all these windows," he told her when she nodded.

"This is a virtual studio," she chuckled, gesturing at the screen. "I rarely use it because I work with actual instruments and record them in the studio but I had an idea last night and I couldn't wait until Monday. I guess I got carried away."

"So, this like a draft?" he asked.

"Yeah, if you will," she shrugged and removed the headphones from around her neck. "Here," she said as she handed them to him. "Check it out," she rubbed her sore neck.

She waited until he wore the headphones before she hit play.

"Wow, Bec," he rested his hand on her shoulder. "This is _really_ really good," he exclaimed.

"Thanks." She found herself smiling at honest reaction and didn't miss the shakiness of his hand that was trying to hide by squeezing her shoulder.

"Which one did you use—which score?" he asked once he finished listening.

"Um, you give _amazing_ titles to you work," she said as she looked through music sheets. "This one," she paused to read the title, "B0402."

"I cannot wait to hear the full song, vocals and all," he squeezed her shoulder again then put the headphones on the counter. "I can't believe you could do that with a laptop," he watched her close the lid of her laptop.

"There are other things than looking up porn you could use a computer for, Jesse," she got up. "What are you doing up this early?" she asked, looking at the time on his watch to find it 6:07 am.

"I sorta had this bad dream," he scratched the back of his head, feeling a little embarrassed. "It woke me up and I didn't find you in bed so I thought you left," he told her.

"We're at my place," she cupped his cheek and scratched his beard. "I won't run away from my own apartment," she leaned up and pecked his lips.

"How long has it been raining?" Jesse asked hearing a very close thunder.

"Since yesterday," she looked out of the window. "And, it's gonna keep raining," she yawned so hard her eyes watered. "I saw it in the weather forecast," she sniffed.

"I hate rain," Jesse grimaced, wrapping Beca in his arms.

"You grew up in L.A.. Of course, you don't like cold weather," she rested her head against his bare chest.

"You like it?" he asked.

"Yeah," she shrugged. "Rain makes me wanna spend the day in bed, snuggling up to my comforter, drinking tea and hot chocolate."

"What about getting caught in rainstorm on your way to work and getting soaked wet because you use public transportation?"

"That part does suck," she looked up.

"So, you're planning on spending the day in bed?" he asked. She nodded, yawning.

"Mind if spend it with you?" he asked.

"No, but what about work?" she asked back.

"I can take a day off," he shrugged. "C'mon, let's go back to bed," he placed a kiss on her head.

"I wanna eat something first," she removed herself from his hold and turned on her heels, walking to the fridge.

"Go back to bed. I'll bring you breakfast," Jesse wrapped his arm around her waist from behind and placed a kiss on her neck.

"If I do that I'll fall asleep," she tilted her head.

"Bec, I'm trying to be romantic over here," he said in mock annoyance and made her chuckle.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I will be in bed," she put a hand on his arm and removed herself from his embrace.

"Don't fall asleep," he clapped his hands together, watching her stretch while making her way to her bedroom.

"I'll try," she told him.

Jesse grinned at her sleepy tone then turned on his heels. Opening the fridge, he glanced at the beer cans and bottle for a second then grabbed eggs and closed it.

After they went grocery shopping the day before, they made lunch together, cuddled on the couch while he watched Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix and she napped. When it started to get late so Beca decided to leave and Jesse insisted he'd drop her off and ended up spending the night at her place.

Jesse made hot chocolate as a replacement for coffee, scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes. As he eyed the food, he hoped Beca was still up and very hungry because he didn't feel like eating. He wanted one thing and he didn't want to go near it while he's around Beca. He felt ashamed for letting it get too far to become an issue.

Blowing a breath, he picked up the tray and started making his way to Beca's bedroom.

"You're still up," he said in surprise as he stepped into the room.

"Yeah, I kept myself busy," she shook her phone and sat up.

"E-mails?" he asked, trying to keep his hands from shaking and miserably failing. Beca took the tray from him after putting her phone aside. "No," she paused, placing the tray on her lap, "I was reading an article on Alcohol withdrawal."

Jesse uncomfortably scratched his beard and sat down, giving Beca his back.

"Jesse, you've been sober for almost 24 hours. If what I read is true, and it probably is since it's on Wikipedia, you could have a seizure," she paused hearing him sigh. "Jesse, this is serious."

"You think I don't know that?" he turned around to face her.

"You don't seem to acknowledge it," she spoke softly. "I spent the entire day with you and you didn't bring it up except at the subway station—and I'm pretty sure you did that to make me change my mind."

"How am I supposed to bring something like this up?" he asked and watched her put the tray on the nightstand.

"Like they do in movies when they go to support groups?" she shrugged. "Do that," she added when she saw that her suggestion made him crack a smile. She knew that he was uncomfortable and wanted to be as supportive as she could.

"I'll go first" she said, extending her hand. He took it and climbed next to her.

"But you don't have a liquor problem," he told her, feeling her squeeze his shaking hand.

She shrugged and cleared her throat, taking the hot chocolate mug from the tray. "I'm Beca Mitchell and I'm a workaholic," she paused to look up at Jesse, "it runs in the family: Mom's a workaholic. Dad got away with his skin and moved to a different state but I stayed with her," she sighed thinking back at her parents divorce and took a sip from her mug. "I'm working on two separate projects, running a department in a label branch that if I don't make 250 thousand dollars by new year's eve we'll lose the only shot the branch has at not getting cut off. So, no pressure," she chuckled humorlessly.

Jesse placed a kiss on her forehead when she exhaled and threw an arm around her shoulder. He knew she was struggling to keep it together and not let her anxiety get the best of her.

"Your turn," she gave him a small smile.

"Okay," he inhaled a deep breath. "I'm Jesse Swanson and I'm an addict," he paused and felt Beca rub her thumb over his knuckles. "It all I started when I caused my unborn child's death and pushed the one person that could help me out of my life," he sniffed. "I should have stopped but the blackouts felt good," he shrugged. "It worked for a while then I became dependent on it and I didn't care."

He felt Beca put her palm on his chest and looked at her. His heart was beating really fast and he thought he put a good front to hide it yet she noticed it.

"Do you understand the importance of getting medical attention?" she asked, as she held his gaze.

"Yes," he nodded.

"Do you want help?"

"Yes." he rapidly nodded. She sighed a sigh of relief before leaning up to kiss him.

"It's gonna suck a lot but I'm here Jesse. You're not alone," she said, pulling away.

"Even if things don't work out between us, I promise that you won't get rid of me until you get better," she told him and placed a forceful kiss on his lips.

"Thank you," he smiled weakly at her.

"Don't thank me," she shook her head. "I saw you go down this road and didn't even talk to you about it," she sipped from the hot chocolate and kept looking at it.

"I wouldn't have listened" he exhaled, clenching his chest.

"Breakfast is getting cold," he cleared his throat and placed his hand on the bed sheet and clench it instead. "You should eat," he tried to smile at her when she looked up and eyed him.

"Jesse, there's beer in the fridge," she told him.

"Beca, I'll be fine."

"No, you could have a seizure," she shook her head and sat up to put the mug in the tray. "You can't cut alcohol completely from your system." She held his hands, "your hands are shaking and your heart is beating really fast."

"I..." he trailed off, not knowing how to put it. He didn't want to drink because he didn't trust himself to know when to stop since he was craving it so badly.

"I won't judge you," she paused. "I love you and I understand your needs even though they could kill you on the long run but staying sober without being monitored by a doctor could kill you too," she squeezed his hands. "You want help and that's I care about. But for now you need alcohol," she held his gaze. He tsked then nodded.

"How much do you need?" she stroked his cheek.

"I don't know," he honestly answered. "I just know that I won't feel good until I'm at least buzzed," he added to which she nodded.

"I never thought a day would come where I'd encourage an alcoholic to consume alcohol," she said and got off of the bed. "I'll be right back," she told him as she paced out of the room and came back less than a minute later holding a beer pack.

"Would this be enough?" she asked.

"Yeah," he sat up. 6 beer cans would get him buzzed if he drank them all at once.

"You still gonna eat with me," she told him as she handed him the pack. "I'm not gonna eat all that by myself," she added when he looked at her in puzzlement.

"Food would help soak up the beer," he apologetically told her.

"Eat after you're done with that," she nodded at the beer pack. "You lost a lot of weight, Jesse, and it will become problematic if you don't do something about it," she placed the tray on her lap and paused. "God, I sounded like my mother just now," she shook her head.

"That's not a bad thing," he hesitantly popped a can open. "Your mom cares about you and you care about me," he smiled at her.

Beca stole glances at him and saw the drastic change in him. The shakiness stopped after the third beer. He was drinking beer like a person who found an oasis in the desert.

"You're done?" he asked her once she put the tray on the nightstand.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I left you your share," she added, looking back at him.

"I'll heat up and eat it later," he brought the beer to his lips. "C'mere," he extended his arm for her.

"Your heart isn't beating as fast as it did earlier," she said as she rested her head against his chest and took his free hand and held it.

"If you wake up and you don't find me know that I went to feed Bender, okay?" he told her.

She nodded and closed her eyes.

"I love you," he rubbed her arm.

"I love you too," she rested her palm on his chest and curled up in his arms and smiled when he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Sleep well," he told her and watched her fall asleep.

"Keys are on the counter," she mumbled as she started to fall asleep.

* * *

Beca woke up, startled by thunder. It took her a few seconds to realize that it was just thunder. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand and saw that it was 14:02 pm. She hopped off of her bed and started making her way out her bedroom.

Reaching the kitchenette, she saw that Jesse cleaned and hoped he ate something.

She put a pot of water to heat up, planning on making some tea.

"Hey," she smiled when she saw Jesse unlock the front door and get in. "Shit," she laughed when he walked in soaked wet.

"Yeah, this is funny," he said in annoyance as he tossed his back bag on the floor.

"I'm sorry," she apologized and started making her way to her bedroom then came back with a towel in her hand.

"Why are you still wearing your clothes?" she asked, seeing that he was shivering in his wet clothes. "C'mon, take these off."

"I fucking hate rain," he mumbled, taking off his jacket. Beca took it from him and tried not to laugh at him as she hug it.

"Yeah but you love Bender," she said watching him tug up his t-shirt and sweatshirt at the same time.

"Yeah," he nodded, sounding less annoyed.

"You should go take a warm shower," she told him as took his wet clothes, made her way to her bedroom and tossed them in the dirty clothes basket after emptying his jeans' pockets. "You could catch a cold," she told him when he followed her into the room, wearing nothing but his boxers and holding his back bag.

"I brought clothes," he sniffed, drying his hair and holding up his back bag.

"Good call," she watched him quickly dry his chest before he threw an arm around her shoulder and hugged her. She looked up and kissed him and smelled Bourbon.

She didn't make any remark on the smell because he still hadn't seen a doctor. She believed him when he told her that he wanted to change his habits.

"Go shower," she pulled away.

"Okay," he nodded and unwrapped his arm.

Beca was still tired and had a feeling that she wouldn't get a chance to relax until they make 250 thousand dollars by new year.

Actually, she wouldn't relax until the seven months are up and they either shut the branch or keep it going.

Beca sighed and turned off the stove then tip toed to get tea from the shelf. After making herself tea, she sat on the couch, grabbed one of the music sheets, that Jesse moved from the counter when he made breakfast, and began reading it. She recognized the melody and wondered when had she seen it before. When her memory betrayed her she decided to play it on the keyboard, hoping that hearing it would jog her memory.

She walked to her bedroom where she kept the keyboard while she eyed the music sheet and only looked away to put the mug of tea on the floor near the keyboard. She then sat down Indian style, put the sheet in front of her and started playing the notes. When she got to the part where the writing becomes worse than a 7 year old's, she looked closer to decode the hieroglyphics on the sheet.

Figuring the notes out, she started from the beginning of the piece that was too short to be a piece.

"What you playing?" Jesse asked, as he walked out of the bathroom.

"B0917," she read the title. "Dude, what's with these titles?" she tilted her to look at him and stopped playing.

"I'm not good at naming things," he told her as he picked up his back-bag and unzipped it. "0917," he murmured quietly.

She looked back ahead of her resuming what she was doing. Halfway through, she remembered where she'd came across it before.

"It's not finished," he told her. "And, I want it back," he added, slipping on his sweatpants.

"A lot of the stuff you've given me isn't finished," she glanced at him and watched him wear his t-shirt.

"Where did you put the stuff that were in my jeans pockets?" he asked.

"Nightstand," she said and watched him grab his wallet then walk back to her. "Here," he extended his hand, holding what she guessed were 77 bucks.

"You seriously paying for it?" she arched her eyebrows.

"I'm not selling this one," he shrugged.

"You didn't get your paycheck yet: there's no need to pay for this back," she picked her mug up and took a sip while she eyed the piece. "Jesse, could you hand me my phone?" she glanced up.

"Yeah," he nodded and made his way to her bed, grabbed her phone, put his wallet on the nightstand then walked back to where she was sitting and handed it to her before he sat down next to her.

"Thanks," she thanked him and unlocked the screen. Jesse rubbed her back in response then shifted his attention to the keyboard and started playing random notes.

"It's a date," she mumbled.

"Huh?" he looked up.

"The 0917 in the title is the date you wrote this— started writing," she told him as she held up the sheet. "I'm guessing the B is my initial," she shrugged and looked up to meet his gaze.

"Congratulation, you cracked the mystery of my lazy titles, Nancy Drew," he slow clapped and laughed when she slapped his shoulder.

"Ow," he rubbed his shoulder.

"Well, my initial is actually R," she told him.

"So, what does the B stand for, Ms. Drew?" he asked in mock shock. "It can't be Bender," he scratched his beard, pretending to think. "Or could it?"

She nudged him. He chuckled and threw an arm over her shoulder, bringing her closer to him. "Why do you want it back?" she asked.

"I wanna finish it," he placed a kiss on her cheek. She nodded and put the sheet aside.

"You should. I really wanna hear the finished product," she told him.

"I know you do," he smiled at her.

"I got you other sheets I found at my place—they were under the bed and I'm surprised Bender didn't eat them," he told her and reached for his back-bag and started emptying it.

"You might find something you like," he shrugged. "Most of these are shit, Bec: you don't have to buy them," he said.

"They're more than enough for me," she took a sip from her tea. "I just need source material to work around instead of actually creating melodies." She grabbed a sheet from the pile he put on the floor. "This is like 25% of my job and it's already done," she started reading the piece.

"I'm not sure I even know what is it that you do anymore," he scratched his beard.

"Lately, a lot," she chuckled humorlessly. "But I meant producing when I said job," she put the sheet down.

"May I?" he asked, resting his fingers on the keyboard same time as she did.

"Sure," she nodded and pulled away.

He cleared his throat and began playing Smile by Uncle Kracker before started singing.

"You're better than the best

I'm lucky just to linger in your light

Cooler than the flip-side of my pillow (that's right)

Completely unaware

Nothing can compare to where you send me

It lets me know that it's okay (yeah, it's okay)

And the moments when my good times start to fade," he softly sang while playing on the keyboard then looked up before he began to sing the chorus.

"You make me smile like the sun,

Fall outta bed

Sing like a bird,

Dizzy in my head

Spin like a record,

Crazy on a Sunday night

You make me dance like a fool,

Forget how to breathe

Shine like gold,

Buzz like a bee

Just the thought of you can drive me wild

Oh, you make me smile," he smiled at her and felt his heart beat faster but not in the uncomfortable way it did when was suffering from a withdrawal. His heart was beating fast because he meant the words he was singing and the way she was lovingly looking at him made him happiest he'd been in a while.

"Even when you're gone

Somehow you come along

Just like a flower poking through the sidewalk crack

And just like that

You steal away the rain

And just like that," he grinned at her when she rolled her eyes at the grimace he made when he mentioned rain.

He paused for a beat before repeating the chorus and as he started to sing it she joined him in it then rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Don't know how I lived without you

'Cause every time that I get around you

I see the best of me inside your eyes

You make me smile," he looked down at her and placed a kiss on her forehead as he continued playing the notes before he sang the chorus again.

Finishing the song, Jesse rested his cheek on her head and took her hand in his.

"I really hate you right now," Beca sighed and squeezed his hand.

"Not the words I was expecting, but okay," he replied.

"I hate you 'cause if I do what I wanna do right now you'll probably run for the hills," she said thinking back at how he mentioned that he didn't want them to have sex until he was sure he wouldn't push her away after they do.

Jesse eyed her for a few seconds when she looked up then leaned in and kissed her forcefully.

"Jesse?" she called questioningly as she kissed him back hesitantly.

"Sorry," he eased out of the kiss. "Hey, Beca?"

"Yeah?" she watched him.

"Does dry humping get you off?" he asked.

"That's a tricky question to answer," she blew a breath. "It depends on who I'm with and how turned on I am," she added.

"Wanna give it a try?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered and threw her arms around his shoulder, chuckling when he fell on the floor.

"Bed?" he mumbled. She shook her head in response.

* * *

"I need to go change," Jesse said and sat up. "Fuck," he ran his fingers through his hair.

"What's wrong?" Beca asked, sitting up as well and trying to control her breathing.

"I don't have clean boxers to change into," he told her.

"I got that covered," she told him and took a moment before she managed to stand up and walk to her wardrobe.

"Here you go," she threw Matt's underwear he left at her place for Jesse to catch.

He caught the boxers and eyed them.

"Whose are these?" he asked.

"Do you really wanna know?" she asked back.

"Yeah," he uncomfortably got on his feet.

"I didn't sleep with their owner and that's all you need to know," she said and tried to keep the smile off of her face as she watched him try to not let her see how badly he wanted to know more. "Don't take forever: I need to shower," she told him when he stepped into the bathroom.

"Okay," he replied.

Five minutes later, Jesse walked out of the bathroom to find Beca scrolling down her phone. "Hey, Jesse, what do you wanna eat?" she asked without looking up from her phone.

"Anything would be good."

"Would be Vietnamese be okay?" she asked, chuckling at his tone: he was still annoyed and wanted to know to whom belonged the underwear.

"Sure," he shrugged.

She nodded and dialed the number of Vietnamese place then brought her phone to her ear, placed an order and tossed her phone on the bed after hanging up.

"What are you doing?" she asked, watching Jesse plug her blow dryer while he held the boxers he busted his load in when they dry humped.

"I washed it and I'm gonna dry it and wear it back," he turned the blow dryer on.

"Weirdo," she shook her head and made her way to the bathroom.


	22. Chapter 22

Beca was in her office going through a couple of contracts before she printed them. Hitting print, she got up and got out of her office and made her her way to the break room to fill herself a cup of coffee.

Sipping her black coffee, she started to make her way back to her office. She glanced at the elevator when she heard it open. Seeing that it was Jesse, she acknowledged him with a smile then got inside her office. She looked at her watch and was surprised when she saw that it was already 3pm.

"You're on time," she said over her shoulders when Jesse walked in. She placed her coffee on the desk then turned on her heels.

"You have a tight schedule, the least I could do is show up on time," he said, watching Beca draw the curtains and close the door to give them some privacy.

"How was your appointment?" she asked, turning to face him.

"It was interesting," he answered. She nodded, deciding to leave the conversation about his doctor's appointment for later.

Jesse reached over and hugged her before he pecked her lips.

"So, I was talking with mom for legal advice," she started to say as she made her way to her office and took a seat.

"Yeah?" he sat down on one of the seat facing her desk.

"The contract you sign wouldn't benefit you on the long run," she grabbed it and tore it in front of him.

"This one though," she grabbed the sheets from the printer. "It limits the label's say in your work. You would still have all the rights to your _work_ and it's only for this album," she told him. "I also did some digging and got you a fair price per piece."

Beca placed the contract in front of him then pushed his paycheck near it.

"3 thousand dollars," Jesse exclaimed.

"From all the work you gave me I'm buying 8 on the label's behalf," she grabbed her checkbook and a pen. "I'm buying the rest. I don't want to put them under the label's name in case I get fired or quit," she shrugged and tore the check from the checkbook and put it in front of him.

"Beca this is a lot," he took one look at the second check she placed in front of him.

"This contract over here would basically give me the legal rights to use your work but you'll always have composer credit when I use any of them."

"Beca, you are overpaying me," he pushed back the checks.

"Nope," she shook her head. "I did my homework. This is what you deserve—I should have done it earlier but I didn't," she shrugged and put a pen in front of him. "We're running on a tight budget, you think I'd be giving money away?"

"I wasn't talking about the 3 thousand dollars. I can't take the money for the pieces you're buying under your own name," he told her. "Pay me whenever you're going to use any of them," he added, grabbing the check and tearing it.

"I'll twerk the contract then and get back to you on it," she grabbed the contract and put it in front of herself then made some notes on it with the pen and tossed it aside.

"This is your contract for the directing gig," she put another sheet in front of him. "50 bucks an hour," she said, watching Jesse sign the contracts without reading them. "We gonna be shooting over the weekend." She placed his second paycheck in front of him.

"Thank you," Beca grabbed both contracts and put them in a folder.

"No, thank you," he watched her grab her cup of coffee. "You got more meetings to come?" he asked.

"This is my last meeting for the day," she told him. "I'm going to go check on the producers working in the studio right now and act like I know what I'm doing."

"You do know what you're doing."

"Please, I messed up your contract," she scoffed.

"You're learning how to do this part of the job," he gestured at the paperwork. "But you know your music. These producers are lucky to have you around."

Jesse got on his feet.

"You're headed to the bar?" Beca asked.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Jesse you sure working at a bar is the right thing to be doing?" she walked around her desk.

"They pay well, Bec," he told her. "We'll talk later, okay?"

She nodded and hugged him then glanced at the time and saw that they were done really fast.

"Hey, Jesse, there's something I've been thinking about," she stepped back.

"What's up?"

"I think we should keep this," she gesture between the both of them, "a secret," she told him.

" _This_?" he frowned.

"Yeah, this," she paused, "whatever _it_ is we're doing."

"I think the word you're looking for is relationship."

"We're involved romantically. And I'm your employer: it's unethical for me to be hooking up with you."

He nodded, resting his hand on her waist.

"It would hurt my reputation—a reputation that I'm starting to build— if a word got out that I hired my on and off boyfriend," she blew a breath. "When I came up to you with the job proposal I didn't think we'd be back together anytime soon," she shrugged. "People don't care about details: they just wanna talk shit and I don't want anyone to talk about us in any way."

"I understand," he nodded again. "We can keep it under wraps for as long as you want," he pulled her to him. "It should be fun to act all secretive," he shrugged then smiled when she leaned up and kissed him.

A quick knock on the door made Beca pull away from him and take a few steps back while running her fingers through her hair.

Matt peeped his head through the doorway after unlocking it.

"Beca," he paused. "Jason," he said, eyeing Jesse.

"Jesse," Jesse corrected him.

"Sorry, yeah, Jesse," he nodded.

"What's up Matt?" Beca asked, watching the way Jesse tensed up.

"I was wondering if you had a minute to go over a marketing idea I had."

"You're head of marketing why would you want to hear my say?"

"Because it's related to your a cappella project."

"Well," she glanced at Jesse.

"You're busy," Matt nodded, "I'll get back to your later," he drummed his fingers on the door.

"No, I was just leaving," Jesse said then tilted his head to look at Beca. "E-mail me when you make that change in the contract," he extended his hand. "Pleasure doing business with you," he winked.

"You too," Beca took his hand and shook it. "I'll get right on it," she assured him.

Matt opened the door wide-open and let Jesse through then looked back at Beca expectantly until she nodded and grabbed her coffee.

"Walk with me, Woodward," she told him as she walked out of her office. "I have to go to the studio," she added.

"Yeah. So, I was thinking you guys go to some a cappella competition and kick ass," he started to say.

Beca glanced at Jesse as he walked and she checked him out. He felt her faze and glanced back at her, smirking as he shook his head and pushed the button for the elevator.

"Beca?" Matt called, feeling her zone out.

"Sorry, you were saying?" she sipped from her coffee and shifted her attention to Matt.

* * *

"Does he have to be here?" Jesse asked, once he and Beca were alone on the porch.

"It's his house," she glanced behind her. "He's been generous enough to rent it for nothing," she looked back at Jesse. "Look, I know that you don't like him but he's my friend and he's trying to help," she sighed. "I won't kick him out."

"I'm not asking you to do that," he scratched his beard.

"Good," she looked behind her again. Tilting her head back to look at Jesse, she was surprised when Jesse leaned in and stole a kiss from her.

"Dude," she looked around them.

"They're all inside," he assured her.

"There are windows," she gestured at them.

"What did you want to talk about?" he shrugged.

"Right," she paused, "I wanted to know if you got a sponsor yet," she said.

"Nope," he shook his head. "The doctor said that alcohol levels aren't high enough for me to relapse when I'm medicated. No need for a sponsor to keep me sober. Plus I got you," he smiled at her. "C'mon," he flipped his baseball cap backwards. "Let's do some directing," he smacked her butt and walked past her.

Beca smiled to herself and followed him into Matt's beach house.

It was the first day of shooting. Everything was going as planned and Jesse was handling things very well for a newly sober drunk.

Jesse went to see a doctor like he promised he would. The doctor prescribed him a drug to help with the craving and vitamins to strengthen him. Rehab was an option but Jesse didn't want to go mainly because he couldn't afford it and didn't want Beca to pay for it.

"Why haven't you changed yet?" Chloe asked, spotting Beca.

"I'm not going to," Beca shrugged.

"Beca—"

"—Chlo, I won't wear them."

"Image sells," Stacie shoved the clothes into her arms. "Go change, you're wasting time," she added.

"Who bought the wardrobe for this music video?" Beca asked.

"I did," Stacie told her. "He helped," he nodded at Matt. "He actually insisted we get these pajamas for you."

Matt was drinking coffee in the back pretending like he wasn't eavesdropping on their conversation. Beca glanced at him then at Jesse who wasn't far enough to not hear them and he looked pissed at what he heard Stacie say.

"Beca, just wear them and let's start shooting," Jesse said in a very indifferent voice that she knew was fake.

Beca took a look at the clothes in her hands then huffed and started walking to the closest bathroom to change into them.

* * *

"Who is it?" Beca asked hearing a knock.

"It's Chloe. Open up," she answered.

"Just a second, red."

Beca reached for the door and unlocked it after she finished changing.

"I don't know what Stacie was thinking when she bought these," Beca looked down at herself.

"You heard her, it was your puppy's idea," Chloe chuckled, putting a makeup bag on the sink.

"Don't call him that," Beca grimaced.

"Sorry, Jesse is your puppy," Chloe chuckled.

"Neither one of them is my puppy," Beca sat down on the toilet seat and let Chloe do her make up.

"Actually, they're both your puppies." Chloe paused. "Jesse is like a lost puppy you found then gave away after he's grown attached to you and Matt is like a puppy dying for its owner's attention."

"Could you stop with the puppy analogy already?" Beca asked in annoyance.

"I saw you with Jesse on the porch," Chloe said after a beat.

Beca froze for a second, she hadn't told Chloe about getting back with Jesse. True, her career was the main reason they didn't go public but she kept it from her closest friends as well because she wanted him to get better first and see if they'd last longer than a month before letting anyone know about them.

"What did he want?" she asked.

"He's just running work stuff with me," Beca lied, closing her eyes when Chloe grabbed the eyeliner.

"Still guilt tripping?"

"Yep," Beca sighed.

"Have you tried talking him into seeing a therapist?"

"He can't afford it and won't let me pay for it," Beca told her.

"Well, he can't keep on living in guilt. He needs help."

"Chloe, I'm trying. I really am. It's not easy."

Chloe held her gaze for a few second then nodded.

"You're all done," she stepped back.

"Thanks," Beca thanked her and got up. She eyed herself in the mirror.

"Cat eyes, really?" she tilted her head to look at Chloe.

"Kittens drive puppies insane. You're doing that to your puppies," Chloe shrugged then made her way out of the bathroom. Beca shook her head and followed her.

Walking out of the bathroom in pajamas shorts and a v neck tank top, Beca felt beyond self-cautious. She looked for Jesse and found him looking to his right so she followed his gaze to find Matt eyeing her. Matt looked away when she met his gaze.

"If everyone is ready let's start, shall we?" Jesse said in annoyance.

Beca nodded and headed to the stairs, making her way to room they were going to start the shooting at.

"Hey, Beca," Jesse called after her. She stopped walking and turned around to look at him.

"Want to wear my sweatshirt?" he asked. He saw how uncomfortable she was and wanted to help. "It would pass for pajamas," he added.

"I'd like that," she nodded.

He removed his cap and handed it to her before he took off his sweatshirt and stayed in a t-shirt.

"Here," Jesse handed it to her.

"Thanks," she took it from him.

"Nice t-shirt," she added when her eyes fell on Kermit the frog's face printed on his white t-shirt.

"Wanna wear it instead?" he asked, looking down at his t-shirt.

"Um, yeah," she shrugged.

Jesse tugged up his t-shit and took it off. Beca handed him his sweatshirt and took the t-shirt from him and wore it while he wore back his sweatshirt.

Beca realized that they were on the staircase and that everyone was watching them when she put his baseball cap on his head then cupped his face.

She dropped her hands and turned around and skipped the cases as she climbed up the stairs.

"Amy and Bumper, you guys ready?" Jesse asked, scratching his beard.

"I was born ready," Bumper told him. "Cameos rule," he hollered as he started walking up the stairs.

Jesse nodded and continued climbing up the stairs as well.

* * *

"All right," Jesse stood by the door of the bedroom they were going to use. "Beca, you and Amy used to be roommates in the bellas house," he said.

Beca nodded at what she had already told him.

"Okay, so you caught her and Bump going at it before?"

"I have," she cringed.

"Great," he clapped his hands together. "Think of that when you reach for the knob," he told her. "That's like source material if you were making a song," he tried to speak to her in a language she'd understand.

"Okay," she nodded.

"Bumper," he stepped into the room, "Amy," he looked at them. "You guys just hump then look up when Beca unlocks the door and display surprise," he pointed at the door. "I wanna feel the awkwardness, people," he told them then walked to where he set the camera in the corner and pulled the iPod Beca gave him and looked up the song. He played the part where the scene is then said, "action," loud enough for Beca to hear him.

They filmed multiple takes then moved on to the next scene.

The concept for the music video was going through their life as Barden Bellas through Beca's perspective because she was the leader of the group.

The next scene was the Bellas making breakfast and doing a cappella because that's what they did back in college when they wake up: they sang a cappella.

It was a stretch from reality because what actually went down when they'd start their morning musically Beca would the one complaining and asking them to shut up and let her have her coffee in peace.

Jesse's direction was clear and professional. He understood the general idea for the music video and was following the storyboard Beca provided him with.

"Ladies," Jesse called. "We still got one more scene for the day," he looked out of the window. "You got a 30 minute break while I go set the camera outside," he told them.

"I'll help you out with that," Matt told him.

"Nah, it's cool. I got this," Jesse told him.

"We'll get the lights outside working," Bumper told Matt. "C'mon, kid," he nodded for him to follow him.

They had technicians prepare everything for the night shoot but left the plugging for them to do.

Jesse's hands were shaking as he unplugged the wires.

"I got it," Beca bent down and unplugged them for him.

"Thanks," he told her.

"Forgot to take your meds?" she asked.

"I have to eat and haven't yet," he told her.

"Where were you when everyone got pizza earlier?" she asked.

"I was setting up the next shot," he busied himself with collecting the wires.

"You could have said something," she grabbed his arm. "I would have made sure they left you pizza to eat."

"It's fine," he smiled at her. "We're almost done: I'll go grab a bite later."

"No," she shook her head. "Hold on a second," she told him and walked away.

"Does anyone of you have a mars bar or any other energy bar?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think I have a couple of sneakers bars," Amy was the one to speak.

"Can I have them?" she asked. "Jesse hasn't eaten anything the whole day."

"Sure," Amy nodded. "Check in my bag," she told her.

"Thanks Amy," Beca turned on her heels.

* * *

"Here," she said once she reached Jesse. "Eat up," she shook them when he looked up.

"Thanks," he took one of the bars from her. Beca looked behind him and saw how her friends were watching them and stuffed the second bar in his sweatshirt's pocket.

"Don't let yourself get like this, Jesse," she looked back at him. He nodded and reached inside his jeans' pocket and pulled his medicine bottle then popped a pile from it.

"You're good at this," she told him.

"Your music video isn't complicated," he shrugged.

"Even the camera work," she nodded at the camera. "You're quite the cinematographer."

"I was married to one," he paused to swallow, "I picked a few things," he added and tilted his head to look out of the window.

"I regret agreeing to this part," Beca sighed. It was cold. Very cold.

"You'll be fine," he assured her. "You'll be fully clothed," he added, making her chuckle at his pretty annoyed tone.

"Someone is jealous," she teasingly said.

"Yeah, I don't like how he looks at you," he shrugged watching Matt and Bumper start the fire for the bon fire scene. "I should get out there," he told her and reached for the tripod stand.

"Wait. Let the shakiness stop first," she stopped him from picking it up by placing her hand on his arm.

"Okay," he gave in and pulled his arm away.

"Come sit with us," she nodded at where her friends were sitting.

He nodded and followed her.

"Hey, Beca, you think Matt would mind if we each had a few shots of vodka?" Cynthia Rose asked nodding at the vodka bottle placed on a shelf near them.

"It's too cold to be shooting outside," Emily said when she met Beca's gaze.

"Near the beach," Amy chimed in.

"In December," Stacie added.

"I'll ask him," Beca said then picked her phone and texted him.

"Go ahead," she told them as she read his reply.

"Awes," Chloe beamed and got up.

Beca looked up at Jesse. She knew how much of a bad idea it was to drink in front of him when he's craving alcohol.

Even though he still worked at the bar, he would be fully medicated whenever he was working. Beca didn't like that he was still working there and having direct contact with alcohol yet she didn't want to push it because it was his job and it payed the bills.

Beca reached for his hand and briefly squeezed it when everyone was busy taking shots of vodka.

"Beca?" Stacie extended a cup her way.

"No," Beca declined.

"Jesse?" she held it his way.

He shook his head and smiled weakly at her.

"I'm gonna go set the camera," Jesse said after watching them drink for a while.

"Okay," Beca watched him stuff his shaking his hands in his pockets then turn on his heels.

"Why is Jesse acting like Edward scissor hands?" Fat Amy asked.

"He has a headache," Beca lied as she watched him walk out of the door after gathering the filming equipment.

"That's not how headaches work," Amy rested her elbow on Beca's shoulder.

"What do you think is going on with him then?" Beca tilted her head to look at her friend.

"He trying to conceal his boner for you," Fat Amy told her in a serious tone.

"Oh yeah?" Beca smiled.

"Yeah, women got it easy. For men, though, it's hard," she paused. "Pun intended."

"What's hard?" Emily asked as she walked their way while checking her phone then picking up.

"Hiding boners," Amy answered her.

"Hi mom," Emily said to the phone.

* * *

 **AN:** I'd like to hear thoughts. Where do you guys think I'm going with this? *wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge*

Also, do you think the whole being secretive thing would work?


	23. Chapter 23

Jesse was playing with a flash drive between his fingers as he stepped out of the elevator. He finished editing the music video and wanted to show it to Beca. He couldn't understand why she trusted him to do a good job at something he hadn't done in years. He's a composer: Film-making was more or less of a hobby. He liked doing it but it wasn't what he ideally wanted to do for a living. Bar-tending wasn't what he wanted to do either but it paid the bills, barely.

He headed towards Beca's office. Thanks to the glass windows, he saw that she wasn't there so he pulled his phone, to text her.

"She's in the studio."

Jesse looked up and saw Matt walk his way. He slowly nodded and looked back at his phone's screen.

"C'mon, I'm going there," Matt nodded for Jesse to follow him.

Jesse stuffed his phone in his pocket and took Matt's lead.

"No thanks," Jesse declined when Matt offered him M&Ms.

Matt reached for the door and walked in, leaving it open for Jesse who closed it behind him. He watched Matt walk to Beca then rested his hand on the panel in front of her, "I come bearing great news," he told her.

"What?" she leaned against her chair, turning to face him.

"My team got Mae booked to perform in a late night show," he smiled.

"That's awesome."

"There's more," he straightened up.

"Yeah?" Beca got up and walked to the table to grab a bottle of water and saw Jesse standing by the door, waiting for her to notice his presence. He gave her a small smile when she did.

"Her single is charting," he nodded at the booth where Mae was currently recording a song.

Hearing Matt's words, she turned on her heels to face him. "Already?" she asked in surprise.

"It's a damn good song and the guys at promotion are doing a great job," he shrugged.

"This is awesome!" she grinned and ran her fingers through her hair before she looked at the booth.

"It is," Matt agreed.

Mae noticed Beca's expression and stopped singing to ask, "What's going on?"

"Your song is charting," Beca answered her after pushing the button that allowed her to talk to the person in the booth.

"No way!" she took off the headphones.

"Yes way," Matt told her as he pressed the button then chuckled when Mae paced out of the booth.

"Can I hug you?" she asked Beca.

Beca let out a small laugh and nodded, extending her arms for her.

Jesse tried not to look like a creep as he watched them hug: it was hard not grin at the look on Beca's face as she got squashed into a hug by a much taller girl.

The grin vanished when Mae pulled Matt into the hug as well. He had no problem with the hug in itself: they were happy 'cause charting meant money which meant more chances to not shut the branch down. But the fact that Matt's hand was sneakily grabbing Beca's ass was making it hard for him not to walk up to them and break the hug.

Lucky for him, Beca broke the hug and stepped back.

"Let's take five, shall we?" she told Mae.

"Yeah, I need to call mom and tell her," Mae nodded and turned on her heel, looking for her bag.

"Oh, hey, Jesse," Mae said noticing Jesse. "I didn't see you there," she added.

"Congrats," he told her and walked up to her pulling her into a half hug.

"Thanks," she thanked him, pulling away.

"What's up, Swanson?" Beca asked when he met her gaze.

"I finished editing the music video," he showed her the flash drive.

"I'm gonna go check this out and be back. Make that five a fifteen," she told Mae who nodded.

Jesse followed Beca out of the studio and found himself pacing after her. The minute they reached her office, Jesse quickly drew the curtains while Beca closed the door before he pinned her against a wall and pressed his lips against hers.

She grinned kissing him back and wrapped her arms around his neck, gripping his hair and bringing him closer to her.

"What's this about?" she breathlessly said once he pulled away.

Jesse shrugged and stepped back, deciding not answer her.

She chuckled and extended her arms to calm his hair down. "You're jealous," she told him then pressed her lips against his, kissing him, and pulled away before things escalated: They were at her work place and they weren't having sex yet anyway so she'd be left with an itch that won't go away until she dry humped the shit out of him or dealt with it on her own.

"You finished editing the music video, huh?" she asked, walking away from him and taking a seat on her office chair.

"Yeah," he nodded and tossed the flash drive for her to catch then ran his fingertips on his lower lip that she nibbled roughly as they kissed. He knew she wanted more and wasn't saying anything because she respected his wishes. He could see how badly she wanted him and was sure she was aware of much he wanted her too yet he was still scared of what would happen after they do the deed.

"Nice," Beca looked up from the screen after she finished watching the music video and cut his train of thoughts.

"You like it?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "A lot," she added, reaching and pulling a draw open. She pulled a flash drive and made a copy of the music video in it.

"My favorite thing about the whole thing is your t-shirt," she told him as she stood up.

"It looked great on you," he smiled and walked to her then threw his arm over her shoulder from behind as she grabbed the phone.

He placed a kiss on her head and sat down on her office chair before he guided her to sit on his lap as she talked on the phone with someone from promotion department about the music video.

"When will it be up?" he asked her once she leaned against his chest after finishing her phone call.

"In a couple of days," she held on to his arm that was around her chest.

He squeezed her shoulder and placed a kiss on her temple.

"You got any plans for tonight?" he asked.

"No," she answered.

"Come over later?"

She tilted her head to look at him and smiled at the grin he had on his face. "Okay," she leaned in and pecked his lips.

"I should let you go now," Jesse said.

"Yeah," she smiled tightly. "I have to drop the music video off at promotion."

"See you tonight," Jesse placed a kiss on the tip of her nose.

* * *

"Hi," Jesse smiled when he unlocked the door then leaned in to kiss her. She cupped his cheek and kissed him while they walked into the apartment.

She expected him to pull away like he always did but he didn't so she kept kissing him and dropped her bag to cup his face.

Jesse eased out of the kiss and placed his hands on hers.

"Close your eyes," he told her.

"Huh?"

"Close your eyes," he repeated.

"Okay," she closed her eyes.

Jesse removed her hands and helped her take off her coat. "Don't peak," he told her.

"I won't," she answered in anticipation.

He placed his hands on her waist and walked her further into the apartment.

"Okay, open your eyes," he said. "I've been wanting to take out for dinner but you've been busy and I couldn't find a place that would leave me broke on the days that you wouldn't be super busy," he scratched the back of his head watching her eye the dinner he made for her.

Beca tilted her head to look at him. "I love it," she leaned up and kissed him.

"You really mean that?"

"Yes," she smiled at him.

He grinned and pulled the chair for her.

"I'm gonna wash my hands first," she told him.

"Okay," he nodded and watched her walk away.

"How was work?" he asked once she came back.

"Work's great," she told as she took a seat. "I really hate to jinx it but we're going to hit 250 soon."

"That's amazing, Beca," he told her as he pushed her seat.

"Thanks," she watched him walk around the table he set in the middle of his living area.

"Then what happens?" he asked, taking her plate and serving her salad first.

"Then I'll go to L.A. and beg them to help us distribute on a large scale— granted the albums aren't by any means finish but one of the executives gave me his word that he'd help out," she took the plate from him.

"I'm proud of you, Bec."

"I'm really proud of you too," she reached for his hand and interlocked their fingers. "Two weeks without alcohol is something you should be proud of," she added, seeing that he didn't seem to believe her.

He nodded and squeezed her hand.

"Still haven't decided which one of your parents you're going to spend Christmas with?" he asked, picking up his fork.

"Neither one of them," she answered.

"Why?" he asked as he pushed tomatoes aside.

"Matt asked me to go to his family annule party with him," she told him and watched him as he put down the fork and looked up.

"I'm only going 'cause there will be a lot of important people that I wanna meet."

Jesse nodded then looked down at his plate.

"Jesse, you don't have to worry about anything," she said.

"I'm not worried," he went back to pushing tomatoes aside. "I trust you. It's him that I don't trust," he brought a forkful of salad to his mouth.

"Jesse, I'm not an idiot," she paused. "I know why you got jealous at work today," she started to say and watched him look up. "He grabbed my ass," she put down the fork down and rested her arms on the table.

"Can we please talk about something else?" he asked.

"No. Not yet. Jesse, you don't think I let him get away with it, do you?" she asked. "I talked to him. He played dumb, of course, but he understood that he can't just grab my ass."

"He's an ass," Jesse said.

"That he is," Beca agreed. "But I like being friends with him. He's a good friend."

Jesse scoffed at what she said.

"He's my Kate," she slowly added. "How's the lovely neighbor?" she asked. "Wait, I don't wanna know," she shook her head when he was about to answer.

"Salad's great," she sucked her teeth.

Jesse leaned forward and eyed her empty plate.

"Shut up. I skipped lunch," she told him when he arched his eyebrows in surprise.

"Okay," he chuckled and reached for the pan's lid.

"Meatloaf, awesome," she said when he removed the lid.

"Plate please?" he extended his arm.

After serving her, Jesse found himself grinning as he watched her eat.

"Stop watching me and eat," she mumbled.

"I don't wanna get full," he paused. "There's still desert coming."

"What, you made us cake or something?" she asked, mumbling.

"Or something," he winked.

She nodded, swallowing, before she got what he meant.

"Dude, I can't let you do that for me," she told him.

"Why? You're not on your period, are you?" he asked.

"You don't even let me give you hand job and you want me to let you go down on me? That's not fair to you."

Jesse blew a breath and looked away from her for a second.

"I'm trying. This is me trying," he looked back at her. "I wanna trust myself with you. I wanna lose myself with you. I would very much love to make love to you—I wanna to make you happy and you fulfill your needs. Let me do that the way I can for now, please," he held her gaze and clenched his fist, resting it on the table.

"We'll get there," she reached for his fist and unfisted it before she interlocked their fingers. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I'm sorry," she tightened her hold.

"If anyone should be apologizing, it's me for being such a wimp," he rubbed his forehead.

"Hey, look at me," she pulled his hand. "You're not a wimp," she said when he looked at her. "You said it yourself: you're trying," she got up and leaned over to place a kiss on his forehead.

"I'm proud of you, Jesse," she cupped his cheek.

He smiled weakly at her and watched her sit back.

"I love you," he told her.

"You too," she squeezed his hand and pulled away to resume her dinner.

* * *

After dinner, Jesse insisted he'd do the cleaning. Beca made sure she cleaned the table with him and put the leftovers in the fridge, leaving the dish washing for Jesse to do while she played with his dog.

"Is that Pink's bad influence your singing?" Beca asked as she walked to the kitchenette.

"Yep," he answered. "Singing about partying and drinking is oddly comforting," he told her.

"Well, that _is_ odd," she agreed. He shrugged and continued singing.

Beca nodded along as he sang and started unbuttoning her shirt then bent down to untie her shoe laces.

"Whoa," Jesse exclaimed turning on his heels.

"You done with the dishes?" Beca looked up.

He nodded, eyes fixated on her chest that he couldn't wait to touch. "I—you," he stuttered.

"I know, I know," she nodded. "I'm not allowed near your dick," she stepped closer to him. "We'll get there," she smiled at him. "I know we will," she added throwing her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. He leaned in then frowned when she didn't let him kiss her.

"Your dog will start barking if he sees us," she looked around for Bender and saw him chewing his toy in the living area. "C'mon," she took his hand and started walking to his bedroom.

"Dinner was top notch," Beca said as she closed the door behind them. "I haven't eaten anything homemade in a while," she added, taking off her shirt and dropping it on the floor.

"I'm glad you liked it," he pulled her to him and exhaled loudly.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," she cupped his cheek.

"No, I got this," he nodded. "You need more than friction," he tilted his head and placed a kiss on her palm.

"I feel like a guy pressuring his high school girlfriend into prom sex," Beca chuckled. "Except I'm not a teenage boy," she leaned in and kissed him.

"And not a girl," he mumbled, grabbing her ass.

"Yeah," she scratched the back of his head.

* * *

He got her off three times then panicked when he let her grab his hard and jumped off of the bed, heading the en-suit bathroom and leaving Beca by herself in bed.

She ran her fingers through her hair then groaned laying down. She knew the whole no sex thing was more than what he claimed. It wasn't just about control. He truly was afraid of having intercourse with her. She tried to get him to talk to her about it and explain how he felt but he wouldn't.

She heard him run the shower so she figured she'd wear something and call it a night.

Wearing back her panties and a clean t-shirt of his she found, Beca unlocked the door and stepped out of his bedroom.

"Hey buddy," she bent down when Bender came running to her.

"Who's a good boy?" she asked the dog while she scratched its head then chuckled when it barked.

"Yep," she nodded and got down on her knees, "You're a good boy," she cupped the dog's face.

"Okay," she laughed, when he laid down, and started rubbing his belly.

She glanced at the bathroom door when she heard Jesse get out.

Freshly showered, he walked to his closet and got clean clothes to change into.

Beca stole glances at Jesse while she rubbed Bender's belly.

"He becomes clingy when I rub his belly for more than 5 minutes. You've been warned," Jesse said as he took a seat on the bed.

"I don't mind," she shrugged.

"I'm sorry," Jesse apologized as he watched her play with his dog.

Beca sighed and stopped rubbing Bender's belly who ran away the moment she stopped. She got up and walked to the bed then sat down next to him.

"You didn't do anything wrong, you have nothing to apologize for," she shrugged.

"I freaked out on you," he chuckled humorlessly.

"You took a chance and it was too soon," she wrapped her arm around his shoulder and pulled him to her.

"I really want to have sex with you," he paused. "It's just—" he shook his head. "Never mind."

"It's about the accident and how we slept together right after it," she said what she strongly believed had something to do with what was going on.

"I'm on birth control and you'd be wearing a condom," she stroked his cheek. "You won't knock me up," she placed a kiss on his cheek. "I can say that over and over again but it won't change whatever you have up here," she poked his head. "Jesse you need to see a therapist to work out this post trauma thing you got," she rested her forehead against his then got up and walked out of the room.

She came back less than a minute later, holding a checkbook and a pen.

"Beca, I won't take money from you," he told her.

"I'm not giving you money, don't worry," she looked up. "Jess, when you multiply 375 by 5 what do you get?" she asked.

"Um," he paused to do the math.

"Never mind, I'll use my phone," she shrugged and walked out of the bedroom then came back holding her phone.

Sitting down next to him, she put her phone aside then started writing down a check.

"This is a thousand and eight hundred and seventy five dollars," she tore the check from the book. "I'm paying for five pieces I'm going to use personally from the stuff you sold me," she held up the check.

"I told you that I won't take money from you."

"Well, I'm not giving you money: I'm paying you," she shrugged.

He shook his head and took the check from her and tore it.

"I won't take money from you," he repeated. "I've been saving up to go see one," he told then leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Beca had been trying to make him see the importance of seeing a therapist and he wasn't against it he just had better things to spend money on. He worked extra shifts and made enough money to afford seeing one.

"I know you're just trying to help and you are helping a lot," he paused, taking her hand. "Without money."

"Have I told you how proud I am of you?" she asked after a beat.

He smiled at her and leaned in, kissing her tenderly and pulling away when her phone rang.

"Take it," he got up. "I'm gonna get you the actual desert for tonight," he told her.

"What's up, Matt?" Beca asked, picking up.

 _"I'm like 3 blocks away from your place, wanna hang?"_ he asked.

"I called it an early night," she climbed on the bed.

 _"Oh."_

"Yeah," she watched Jesse walked back into the room, holding a plate full of cake.

 _"I have a couple of tickets for Calvin Harris' concert tonight,"_ he told her.

"Ask Mae. I'm sure she'd like to go," she accept it the plate from Jesse and watching him climb the bed as well.

 _"Okay,"_ he sighed. _"I'll text her."_

"Have fun. And, drink responsibly."

 _"Won't do. Night."_

"Night," she chuckled, ending the phone call.

"Chocolate cake," she tossed her phone aside. "Is it dark chocolate?" Dark chocolate was her favorite.

"Is there any other kind of chocolate?" he asked, taking a forkful of cake from the plate he gave her.

"Not that I know of," she placed a kiss on his cheek.

* * *

 **AN:** I'm surprised no one guessed what I'm planning on doing. I guess that's a good sign? Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter.

Next chapter would be during Christmas.

I'd very much like to hear thoughts so leave a review. Until next time, peace.


	24. Chapter 24

Beca woke up with a sigh. Jesse had his arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly as if she was going to disappear the minute he let go. She liked being in his arms: He was a natural heating system. But having his hard-on pressed against her back was frustrating because he wouldn't let her do anything about it.

He pulled her closer to him and groaned in his sleep: she decided then that it was time to wake him up before he came in his sleep, knowing that he'd feel embarrassed if that happened.

She slipped her arm from his embrace and reached for his cheek and scratched his beard before she lightly tapped his cheek. "Jesse?" she called tilting her head to look at him. "Weirdo, get up."

Jesse inhaled deeply, waking up, then opened his eyes. He smiled at her then placed a kiss on her cheek before he registered the fact that his erection was pressed against her back.

"Jesus," he murmured, loosening his hold. "I'm so sorry," he apologized, sitting up and burying his face in his hands. "This is embarrassing," he spoke against his hands.

"It's not."

"It is," he looked up. "I was dreaming about you and you're with me in real life, how pathetic is that?" he asked.

"Given the fact that we haven't had intercourse in almost three months, not pathetic at all," she scouted closer to him and held his hands.

"One time, I fell asleep in the studio and had a very colorful dream about you," she paused. "That was embarrassing," she cleared her throat thinking back at how an intern woke her up thinking she was in pain when he heard her moan in her sleep while in fact it was just that the dream started to get intense. She let go of his hands and climbed on his lap.

"What were we doing in your dream?" she asked, throwing her arms around his shoulders and pecking his lips.

"We were laying down on the couch. You were on top," he told her.

She nodded and pushed him down gently until he laid on his back on the couch they fell asleep on before she climbed on top of him then looked at him expectantly.

"We were making out," he told her and watched her lean in and kiss him.

"You were playing with my hair," he mumbled between kisses and felt her fingers make their way into his messy hair.

"What else?" she breathlessly asked, pulling away to catch her breath.

"You laughed when I did this," he ran his hand up her side and tug up her t-shirt as he did then smiled when she laughed at the tickling sensation his hand movement caused. "Then you took off your t-shirt."

She sat up and took off her t-shirt, tossing it over the couch and started tugging up his t-shirt.

"Not yet," he shook his head and ran his hands up her sides.

"Now what?" she tsked.

"C'mere," he rubbed his thumb right under her bra. She nodded and leaned in. he tilted his head up and closed the distance between them, kissing her senseless and groaning when he felt her dig her nails in his scalp and grind against him. His natural reaction was dig his fingers in her thigh to keep her close to him as they made out while his other hand made his way up to palm her breast.

He pulled away to catch his breath then looked at the coffee table hearing her phone ring. He let go of her thigh to reach for her phone and hand it to her.

"It's mom," she paused. "She's probably going to guilt-trip me over not spending the holidays with her," she shrugged.

"Bec, take it," he smiled at her. She sighed and picked up.

"Hello mother figure," she greeted, resting her forearm on Jesse's chest then resting her head on it.

 _"I was just on the phone with your dad."_

"Mhm?" Beca glanced up feeling Jesse's hand cup her butt with one hand and stroke her hair with his other hand.

 _"He told me that you're not going over to Atlanta."_

Jesse leaned in and placed a kiss on her nose when she rested her chin on her forearm.

"I decided to spend Christmas in New York. I have a lot of work and—"

 _"—Beca, do not use work to get out of seeing your dad."_

"Hold on a second," Beca frowned. "Why aren't you guilt-ing me over not coming to your place."

 _"Because I saw you a few months ago. Your dad on the other hand hasn't seen you in two years, Beca. TWO YEARS! He didn't even know you moved to New York until I told him."_

"It slipped my mind to send him an update on my life," Beca grimaced.

 _"Beca, get a ticket and go to your dad's and get him a decent Christmas present which means no socks."_

"Would a sex doll do?" Beca joked to lighten up the mood and threw the arm she was resting her head against around Jesse's shoulder.

 _"Beca,"_ her mother called slowly.

"Mom, I have another engagement. I can't just go to Barden." She took a curl between her fingers and started playing with it.

Jesse brush her hair aside then leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek before he made his way down to her neck.

 _"What is this engagement of yours?"_ she asked.

"Well…" Beca trailed off when Jesse started to suck on her neck. "It's a work related thingy. A lot of important people will be there that I wanna meet," she cleared her throat.

 _"Work Christmas parties are never thrown on Christmas day."_

"True—" Beca admitted, tilting her head to give Jesse more access.

"— _Is this about Sheila?_ " Ms. Ward doubtfully asked.

"Step monster is fine," she paused. "You know what? Fine, I'll go to Barden for Christmas." Beca didn't want to leave New York because she wanted to be close to Jesse. He didn't show any sign that screamed I'm gonna relapse but she didn't want to jinx it.

 _"Good."_

"If there isn't anything else, I have to go: I'm in the middle of something really important," Beca bit her lower lip when Jesse nibbled her shoulder.

 _"Please don't tell me you're working this late."_

"No, no, I'm not working," Beca chuckled, feeling Jesse place feather light kisses and make his way back to her neck. "I'm just busy with something."

 _"Are you with a man?"_

"Bye, mom," Beca hung up the phone and tossed it on the coffee table.

"Was that part of your dream?" she asked, leaning in to kiss him. He shook his head and picked up where they left off: Her grinding against his junk while gripping his hair and him squeezing her ass and palming her breasts.

He took of her hand and guided it down to his pants. His gesture made her pull away from the heated kiss they were sharing to look at him.

"This is where the dream ends," he told her.

"Do you wanna stop the make-out session?" she asked, not knowing what else to say.

"No," he sat up.

"Tell me what you want me to do?" she asked.

"Unbuckle my belt," he told her.

She nodded and carefully unbuckled his belt then climbed on off of him so that he could kick off his jeans.

"T-shirt?"

He nodded then let her tug it up and helped her take it off then held her gaze. She gave him a weak smile then leaned in and pressed her lips against his, pulling him into a slow kiss. Feeling him relax as they kissed, she reached down and freed his erection from his boxer briefs.

He froze when she did then continued kissing her. She stroked his erection while kissing him then pulled away and started placing kisses as she made her way down going from his neck to chest then stomach.

"Don't," he cupped her face and pulled her up when she placed a kiss where his happy trail started.

She nodded and figured a hand job was all he would let her give him at that point.

"It's okay," she pecked his lips when he sighed.

"I'll be right back," Beca got up and paced to her bedroom then ran back to the living area holding a tissue box and a body lotion bottle. "I really hate to spit in my hands," she grimaced throwing the tissue box on the coffee table f then squeezing a fair amount of body lotion into her palm before she climbed on his lap.

"Here's a confession," Jesse moaned once she started jerking him off. "I never got a hand job before," he told.

"What?" she slowed down to tease him and smirked feeling smug when he groaned. "What about during movie dates?" Beca asked watching him, rested his head against the couch.

"What about them?" he asked back.

"You never got bored and messed around at the movies?" she asked, tightening her grip as she leaned in and took his earlobe between her teeth.

"I never get bored with movies, Bec," he closed his eyes, dug his fingers in her waist.

"Well, I haven't jerked off anyone in like 10 years," she confessed, placing a kiss behind his ear. "Guys prefer putting it elsewhere," she shrugged. "My technique is rusty so I might jerk your dick off," she joked.

"You're doing fine," he blew a breath.

"Where exactly is elsewhere?" he asked, replaying what she said, opening one eye to look at her.

"Not my ass," she chuckled at how eager he was to know.

He nodded and clenched his fist. "So, good, Beca," he moaned her name.

"Good," she nodded, focusing on what she was doing and feeling accomplished at the sounds he was making.

"I—I… love you so much," he cried out as he came.

"I love you as much," she leaned in and placed a kiss on his lips as he recovered then reached for the tissue box and grabbed a tissue to clean her hand.

"Clean up," she put the tissue box on the couch near him. "I'm gonna go wash my hands," she kissed him again and climbed off of his lap.

* * *

"That was the best hand job ever," Jesse said wrapping an arm around her waist as she washed her hands.

"You just told me that it was your first," she looked up. He shrugged and pecked her lips.

"So, you're going to Barden, huh?" he asked watching her dry her hands.

"Yep," she nodded. "Mom's really pissed at me for ignoring dad."

"Your mother really cares about your dad," he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure she's still in love with him," Beca sighed.

"How long have they been apart?" he asked as they walked into her bedroom.

"He walked out on us when I was 14, do the math."

"Beca, you're 28, it's literally half your age," he said, letting go of her, and watched jump on the bed. "What happened, if you don't me asking?" he climbed next to her.

"Mom worked all the time and dad had it with her for choosing her career over us at every turn so he left," she shrugged.

"Why didn't he take you with him?" he threw his arm around her shoulder inviting her to rest her head against his chest which she did. "I didn't have the heart to leave her too," she started drawing lazy trails on his chest. "And, I thought that if I didn't leave he would at least stay for me—I hated dad for bailing."

"Even when you moved with him?" he asked remembering that she told him she moved with her dad at the age of 16.

"Oh, I drove him crazy back then," she chuckled. "I really didn't like the step monster."

"Was she mean to you?" he started stroking her hair.

"Nah," she placed a kiss on his chest. "I just thought that she killed any chance my parents had at getting back together," she sighed. "I was a really dumb kid."

"No, you were just a kid," he corrected her, pressing a forceful kiss on her temple. "And you wanted to both of your parents happy together like any kid out there," he held her up and sat her on his lap. "Don't make the transition from talking about your dysfunctional family to what I'm going to do to you awkward," he warned, cupping her face.

"I won't," she assured him and grinned when he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.

He reached for jeans and unbuttoned them then watched her kicked them off and sit back on his lap.

"You know the best part of being a kid with divorced parents?" she asked, mumbling as he reached to undo her bra.

"No. What?" he helped her take it off.

"I got two Christmases'," she told him: he laughed. "Traveling between mom and dad during the holidays was the highlight of my teen-hood," she shrugged and got him to laugh harder. "Laugh all you want but double Christmas is the best. Sammy will back me up when she's older—You're Jewish so it won't be Christmas— it doesn't really matter what holiday it is as long as it's festive," she threw her arms around his neck and tilted hers when he buried his face in it then pulled away when he stopped laughing at the mention of his daughter.

"What are you getting her this year?" Beca asked.

"I don't know," he shrugged.

"You are seeing your daughter on Christmas, right?" she asked when he didn't answer. "Jesse," she held his chin and tilted his head to face her, "when was the last time you saw Sammy?" she asked.

"Like a week ago," he answered. She frowned at his facial expression that was hard to read.

"What did you guys do when went to see her?" she pushed for details.

"I saw her. She didn't," he looked away from her gaze.

"When was the last time Sam saw _you_?" Beca asked.

"Three months ago," he answered and climbed off of the bed.

"Jesse," she sighed, grabbing a robe and wearing it before she followed him.

"She's way better off with me," he shrugged, making his way to the couch.

"Oh, yeah?" Beca stood and watched him wear his clothes back.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I'm broke and not so long ago I was a drunk." He buckled his belt.

"You think your two year old daughter cares about your financial status?" she asked watching him reach for his t-shirt. "She just wants a dad like every other kid out there and you can't take that away from her." Beca started to make her way to him. "Not this soon, at least," she added as he wore his t-shirt.

"Well, I can't just drop in and expect Sandra to let me see her," he told her after a beat of silence.

She picked up his phone from the coffee table. "You could call," she handed him his phone.

"It's too late to call," he took his phone from her and stuffed it in his pocket. "I'll call during the day," he sighed and looked behind her and at the TV.

"I can't believe we fell asleep watching batman begins," he rubbed the back of his neck, changing the subject. Beca eyed him for a few second and decided to let it go.

"You did work a double shift," she shrugged. "And it's a pretty boring movie," she added stretching the words.

"It's not," he disagreed.

"It is," she clenched his t-shirt and pulled him to her. "Why did you get dressed?" she asked.

"I thought it would be best if I just leave 'cause I didn't wanna fight," he rested his hand on her waist. "I really hate fighting with you."

"I wasn't gonna start a fight," she honestly told him. The last thing she wanted was a fight: he was on the edge and was trying to get back to his old self. Nagging and fighting would make things worse. "And I can't send you out this late especially when there's a snowstorm," she glanced at the window, " _I think_." She looked back at him and watched him relax a little.

"You just want me to spend the night so that you could use my back to warm up your feet when you go to bed," he lightly punched her shoulder.

"You got me," she clicked her tongue.

"Are your feet cold now?" he asked.

"Yep," she nodded.

"Well, no sleep for you missy, not until I'm done with you," he picked her up and ran back into her bedroom.

* * *

"What d'ya think?" Beca asked as she span around in the bathroom doorway.

Jesse looked away from the mirror while still shaving and cut himself eyeing Beca's cleavage. "That ass better not make a move on you," he bit back the pain he felt at the cut and started to make his way to her.

"What would you do if he does?" she asked, holding up his chin and tilting his head to look at the cut.

"I would break into his apartment and set all his fancy designer underwear on fire," he told her.

"Breaking and entering: That's cute," she tilted his head to make him face her and pecked his lips, "not."

"I'm serious," he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Hurry up and finish shaving," she lightly pushed him away. "I need to do my makeup."

"You asked me to shave," he shrugged.

"Yeah, your beard tickles when you go down on me—it feels weird," she walked back into her bedroom and grabbed her high heels before she took a seat on the bed and wore them then grabbed her phone, deciding to kill time texting Chloe.

* * *

"Your date is here," Jesse hollered as he laid in bed and eyed Beca's phone when it chimed with a text from Matt.

"It's 8:30 already?" Beca walked out of the bathroom.

"He's early," Jesse dryly told her as he look at his watch to find it 8:10 pm.

She nodded picking up her phone and texting Matt back.

"You gonna wait here until we leave then get going?" she asked as she walked to get her coat.

"Mhmm," he nodded, getting up and making his way to her then helping her wear her coat. "I'm covering for Marcus at 9," he told her.

"You should just get a sleeping bag and move into the bar since you spend more time there than at your place."

"You look so hot, Becs," he smiled at her then pressed his lips on her forehead.

"Thanks," she looked up and kissed him.

"Okay," Jesse pulled away first when it started getting steamy. "Your date is waiting," he tsked.

"Could you turn off all lights and leave only the bedroom's before you head out?" she asked as she stepped into the en-suite bathroom to cast one final look at herself before she left.

"Yeah, sure," he told her as he wore his shoes.

"Thanks," she thanked him as she walked out of bathroom and started to make her way to the front door.

"Have fun." She heard Jesse tell her from the bedroom.

"I will," she smiled to herself, unlocking the door.

* * *

It was snowing when Beca stepped out of the apartment complex.

"Dude, what are you doing outside your car?" she said watching Matt shiver in the cold, wearing a tux, as he leaned against his car.

"Waiting for you?" he unlocked the door for her then blew into his hands.

"I appreciate the gesture but it's not worth catching a cold," she told him as she buckled her seat-belt when he closed the door behind himself.

"Uh huh," he looked up through the window to her right.

"What?" she looked where he was looking when he leaned in.

"Your apartment lights," he paused, glancing at her. "They're off. They were on just now." He tilted his head to face her and found her looking out of the window.

"Um, my friend is up there," she told him and tilted her head.

"Stacie?" he guessed while looking down at her lips.

"Yep," she lied, looking away from him and hoping he'd get the hint.

Matt cleared his throat and sat back in his seat and started the car.

* * *

Interesting is the word Beca would use describe the party. The guest list had a lot of famous people including Snoop Dogg, who she hadn't seen in years.

She decided to keep an eye on her liquor and stay conscious the whole time. She wanted to have fun like she told Jesse she would but at the same time she didn't want to make a fool out of herself.

"Try the shrimps, they're really good." Beca turned on her heels hearing her former supervisor's voice. "I'll take your word for that," she smiled at him and filled the plate she was holding with shrimps.

"Hungry much?" he asked.

"Nope," she chuckled. "Matt is drunk and I'm helping him sober up," she smiled tightly at him. After they got to the party she got dragged away by people who wanted to get to know her and were impressed by her work and she didn't see him until she looked out of the window and saw on the terrace in the cold. It wasn't until she got to him that she realized how drunk he was.

"Where is he now?" he asked as he looked around.

"The terrace," Beca sighed.

"I'm really sorry you have to put up with that," he said sounding more irritated than sorry.

"He can't hold his liquor," she shrugged, feeling a little uneasy about his choice of words.

"The one time he brings a nice girl home he gets wasted," Arthur rubbed his forehead.

Beca frowned then tilted her head hearing a loud slamming noise.

"He can't resist making me and his mother look bad with his stunts," he shook his head, watching Matt lay on the floor after he fell getting inside the penthouse.

"I'm gonna," Beca put the plate down and gestured Matt's way seeing that no one walked up to him.

"Yeah," he nodded and watched her walk away.

"C'mon, buddy," Beca said, reaching for Matt's arm. "Matt, get up," Beca tapped his cheek then shook her head before slapping him awake.

"You got some explaining to do," she told him as she helped him get up and walk after she wrapped his arm around her shoulder to support his weight.

"Hand off ass," she said behind gritted teeth as she walked him to the kitchen when he rested his hand on her ass.

She rolled her eyes when he squeezed her butt cheek in response.

* * *

"Ron told me you were making this plate for Matty," Mrs. Arthur said as she paced into the kitchen holding a plate full of shrimps.

"Yep," Beca nodded without looking up from her watch.

"Are you trained in first aid?" Matt's mother asked as she eyed Beca who had a couple of fingers on pulse point on Matt's neck while her eyes were fixated on her hand watch.

"Nope," Beca looked up. "I dated a doctor. He taught me a few things," she straightened up. "His heart rate is fine."

"This is Ron's fault," Mrs. Arthur sighed. "He's always giving him a hard time," she ran her fingers through Matt's hair. "This time it was about the new sports car he bought," she shook her head.

Beca nodded, pouring a glass of water then tapping Matt's cheek. "Drink this," she told him when he groaned.

"I honestly thought with you around he'd cut him some slack," his mom said as she watched Beca help Matt drink water.

"About that," Beca paused when Matt's sister walked into the kitchen.

"What, big baby got stupid drunk after arguing with dad, again?" Matt's sister said sounding bored as she stood in the doorway.

"Beth, be nice," Mrs. Arthur pointed at her daughter who held her hands up and watched her mother make her way to the door then looked behind her.

"I have to get back out there," Mrs. Arthur said to no one in particular as she paced out of the kitchen.

"Yeah, that won't work," she said as she eyed Beca and her brother before she walked to them.

"If you got another way to sober him up, be my guest," Beca told her.

"C'mon, baby brother," she reached for Matt and helped him up then walked him out of the kitchen and to the closest bathroom.

"What are you going to do?" Beca asked.

"I'm gonna make him throw up," Beth answered as she sat her brother on the floor near the toilet.

"Isn't it dangerous for an unconscious person to throw up?" Beca crossed her arms. "He could choke and die on his vomit."

"He'll be fine," Beth told her and held Matt's face up. "God, I hate doing this," she grimaced before put a couple of fingers inside his mouth to get him to throw up.

"I'll go get some water," Beca told her as she walked out of the bathroom: she didn't want to witness what was going to happen.

* * *

"I need a drink," Beth murmured as she walked pass Beca at the bathroom doorway. Beca held up the glass of water she was holding.

"A strong one."

"Cool," Beca watched her walk away.

"I got you water," Beca said while Matt washed up. "There are ice cubes in it," she added when he looked up.

"Thanks," he sniffed accepting the glass from her. He was clearly still drunk but at least he was conscious.

"Yeah," she ran her fingers through her hair. "Explain to me why you told your parents that we're dating?" she asked.

"I didn't tell them. They assumed and I didn't correct," he shrugged and brought the glass to his lips.

"Jesus, Matt, you're unbelievable!"

"Well don't make it sound worse than it actually is," he said after swallowing. "You did agree to be my date."

"Yeah, as a friend," she held her forehead and huffed.

"I told you how dad goes on and on about _the_ Beca Mitchell," he walked pass her and closed the door.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Well, when I heard that you were going to come and work at our branch I figured I could, like, sweep you off your feet finally get on dad's good side," he paused to gulp more water. "But lucky for me you're in love with your best friend," he added, hiccuping at the end. "What do you even see in him? He's a trainwreck!"

"Hey, leave Jesse out of this," she defensively said. "And your motives won't cut it," she clenched her fist, feeling really angry at the fact that Matt, who she thought, despite his many flaws, was her friend, was actually using her to work things out with his father.

"Don't punch me," he smiled at her holding his hands up.

"Clear this up with your parents," she glared at him. "I will if you don't," she added.

"Please not tonight," he said when she turned on her heels. "I'm gonna get hell for blacking out as it is." He watched her walk away.

* * *

 **AN:** What do you think, will Beca play along?

Thank you for reading, fellow human beings. You guys are awes.

Also, I threw in a reference, did anyone catch it?


	25. Chapter 25

Beca walked straight to the waiter and took a glass of champagne. She soon joined Snoop who was talking about his successful Christmas album that she worked on.

She kept checking to see if Matt got around to talking to his parents about their misunderstanding. He didn't go near his parents, not until she saw his dad call for him.

She was close enough to hear them and what she heard Mr. Arthur tell his son was painful to listen to, especially since it was in front of a lot of people. She kept watching them until Mrs. Arthur joined them and said something to her husband that got him to stop lecturing their son. Beca looked away when Mr. Arthur look at her and looked back feeling his gaze still on her.

Mr. Arthur gestured for her to join him and the guests he was with that she recognized as pretty important people in their industry along with Matt and Mrs. Arthur.

"Here she is," Mr. Arthur beamed when she joined them. "The woman who's made the New York branch more money anyone before had in a mouth," he gave her a pat on her shoulder.

Was she proud of her accomplishment? Oh, yeah. She was so proud they hit their mark and were at the moment getting close to hitting 260k. She played a huge part but it wasn't just _her_.

"It was team effort," she polity smiled at him.

"People are buying the music you're creating, producing and occasionally singing," he paused to look at his son. "Ms. Mitchell is going out of her way to keep your job. I really hope you're showing gratitude."

Matt nodded, looking like he would rather be anywhere else but there.

"It was Matt's idea to record an album with my A Cappella teammates from college," Beca felt the need to mention. "Marketing and promotion have been working so hard to get people to listen to our music," she paused, smiling at the reaction she got from Mr. Arthur.

Matt's a bratty asshole 80% of the time but he was a good guy. She was mad at him for using her to work things with his dad but she could see why he would do that.

"Really?" Mr. Arthur seemed to be taken back a little.

Matt nodded again.

"You really are a good influence," Mr. Arthur patted Beca's shoulder again.

"How long you two have been going out?" Mrs. Arthur asked.

"Right," Matt hiccupped. "We're not—"

"—not very long," Beca cut him off.

He just made progress with his dad and was going to wreck it. She couldn't let him do that.

Matt looked down at her with a frown on his face.

"Excuse us for a minute," Beca said as she pulled Matt with her and took him to a corner.

"Why did you do that?" he slurred.

"I hate how your dad treats you," she took a red bull can from the waiter walking pass them and handed it to him.

"I'm still mad at how you used me but I can play along for the night."

He popped the can open and sipped from it.

"In a week tops you tell your parents that we're very different people and just can't work," she glared at him. He nodded swallowing.

"Thank you, Beca," he sincerely thanked her then glanced at his parents who were watching them.

"Don't get any ideas," she warned when he leaned in.

"Never," he placed a kiss on her forehead then sniffed, pulling away. "Since you're going to be away on Christmas," he stuffed his hand in his pocket and pulled a box with a ribbon on top.

"I didn't get you anything," Beca eyed the box he was holding.

"Why would you?" he chuckled, extending the box her way and opened it.

"Dude, I can't take that," she shook her head.

"It's rude not to take a gift," he slurred, a lazy smile on his face. "Just take it now and throw it in the trash when I'm not looking," he added when she didn't reach for the diamond bracelet.

* * *

Jesse was humming Skinny Love under his breath as he cleaned up the bar when he heard someone get in.

"We're closed," he said over his shoulders.

"I saw the sign. I can read."

Jesse turned on his heels at the voice.

"Hi," Beca smiled, placing her purse on the bar and hopping on a stole.

"What can I get you, ma'am?" he asked, resting both his hands on the bar facing her.

"What do you recommend?" she asked, shrugging.

"Shots," he pulled a bottle of vodka and a couple of glasses. He filled one with vodka and the other with tap water then held the alcoholic one for her then gave her a slice of lime.

"Cheers," she clicked shots with him and drowned hers. "God," she winced bringing the lime to her mouth.

"How was your night?" he asked as he went back to cleaning.

"Fun, mostly," she took off her heels and coat and walked around the bar.

"Ma'am, you can't be here," Jesse told her as she grabbed a mug to fill with coffee for herself.

"Kiss my ass," she told him before bringing the coffee to her lips.

"Yeah?" he cornered her.

She nodded and sipped her coffee. "So much sass for someone of your size," he looked down at her. Beca held a finger up as she gulped down the coffee. He nodded and waited for her until she finished drinking and put the mug aside.

"C'mere," she threw her arms around his shoulders and pulled him down. He grinned and obliged, leaning to kiss her. He hummed, when she let him slid his tongue, at the taste of vodka and coffee. He cupped her ass and helped her wrap her legs around his waist as they kissed.

"Hey, Marcus, I'm sorry I slept in," Mae sleepily said as she closed the door behind her, walking out of the room they napped in.

Jesse pulled away and tilted his head to look at Mae who stood still when her eyes fell on the bar.

"Put me down," Beca breathlessly said. Jesse gently put her down.

"I'm sorry I interrupted you guys," Mae apologized.

"It's fine," Beca said.

"I didn't know you're here," Jesse rubbed the back of his neck.

"Like wise, buddy," Mae started making her way to the bar. "Covering for Marcus?"

Jesse nodded and watched her take a seat.

"I didn't know you patched things up," Mae reached for the pistachios and grabbed a handful.

"No one does," Beca rested her forearms on the bar, facing Mae. "And, we'd like to keep it that way," she added grabbing a pistachio.

"I won't tell," Mae shrugged. "What time is it?" she asked, popping a pistachio into her mouth.

"0:40 am," Jesse informed her.

"Wow," she mumbled, chewing. "I've been sleeping since 7:40 pm."

"Earning that paycheck," Beca glanced at Jesse feeling his arm around her waist.

"Yeah, it's my last day here," she looked around the bar. "It's exhausting to bartend and also work with you. I don't know how you do it."

"Do what?" Beca asked.

"Work 24/7," Mae rotated her neck.

"It runs in her family," Jesse pecked Beca's temple. He was more than happy that he could finally touch Beca in front of others.

"Why are you keeping your relationship private?" Mae asked. "I'm just curious. You don't have to answer."

"Because," Beca sighed, "I'm his employer until he's freed from his contract and it's morally unethical for me to date someone that works for me."

"I'm really happy for you," she smiled at them. "You make a cute couple."

Jesse chuckled and kissed Beca noisily on the cheek. She really hated being called cute.

"Thanks, Mae," Beca thanked her.

"Holy shit!" Mae exclaimed looking at Beca's purse direction.

"What?" Jesse frowned.

"Holy shit," Mae repeated pulling the car key and holding up. "When did you get a Lamborghini?"

"That's not mine," Beca calmly said, grabbing another pistachio. "It's Matt's," she paused, feeling Jesse dig his fingers in her waist. "He was too drunk to drive. I drove him home. I'm gonna give it back tomorrow: he's dropping me at the airport," she looked back at Jesse and kissed him despite not being a fan of public display of affection. She wanted to reassure him with a kiss.

"Hey, Mae, you got somewhere to be?" she asked.

"No."

"You done cleaning up?" she asked Jesse.

"I'm finishing up." She nodded and pecked his lips.

"I'll be right back. I got an idea," she walked around the bar and wore her high heels.

"Don't leave," she told Mae as she wore her coat and snatched the car keys from her then walked out of the bar.

* * *

Beca walked back inside the bar to find both Jesse and Mae waiting for her.

"You guys ready?" she asked, blowing into her hands.

"Yep," Mae told her while Jesse just nodded.

She climbed in the car and watched Mae get in the back seat then Jesse sit next to her and pull the door closed.

"Where to?" Jesse asked, eyeing the interior of the Lamborghini.

"You'll see," Beca smiled starting the car.

* * *

"God, I missed driving," Beca sighed pulling over.

"I fixed dad's old mustang, you can drive it when you want," Mae told her.

"Thanks," Beca glanced at her.

"Why are we at an ice skating ring?" Jesse asked, looking out of the window.

"We're going to ice skate," Beca told them.

"I can't skate," Jesse told her. "The one time I went ice-skating I broke my wrist."

"I know," she nodded. "I remember," she took his hand and eyed his messed up wrist.

"I'm third wheeling your date," Mae said looking between Beca and Jesse. "Awesome."

"No, this isn't a date," Beca unlocked the door and got out.

"This is totally a date," Mae disagreed, resting her chin on the passenger seat and looking out of the window when Jesse got out of the car and pinned Beca against it kissing her senseless.

* * *

"C'mon, nerd," Beca laughed, watching Jesse struggle to skate.

"I can break my wrist again," he told her.

"C'mon, don't be such a baby," Beca took his hand.

"You just let your guard down," Mae told him as she skated pass them and did a flip.

"Follow my lead," Beca told him. He nodded and tried to follow what she did.

"You're doing it," she smiled at him and let go of his hand and started skating backwards, facing him.

"Yeah," he grinned.

"Babe, relax," she span around.

"I'm trying," he straightened up, still grinning at her. "C'mere," he extended his arm for her.

"No," she said, skating away from him. "You gonna have to catch me," she blew him a kiss then joined Mae.

"When did you plan this _not-date_?" Mae asked her.

"I saw a store on my way to the bar selling ice skating stuff," Beca shrugged then leaned against the ring. "I figured it'd take him and you too because why not. And, this is not a date." she looked behind Mae and at Jesse who was making his way to them.

"Are you two talking the best looking guy in here?" he asked.

"You're the only guy in here," Beca rolled her eyes, watching Jesse pretend he got the hold of ice skating then fall.

"Are you okay?" Mae asked as she and Beca paced to where Jesse fell.

"Jesse, is your wrist okay?" Beca kicked his leg.

"My wrist is fine, my back not so much," he winced.

"C'mon, get up," Beca kicked his leg again.

"Take my hand," Mae gave him her hand to help him up.

Jesse opened one eye to see whose hand it was.

"No, not you," Jesse pushed her hand away. "I want my girlfriend," he closed his eyes again.

"Asshole," Mae laughed.

"Bec?" he sighed dramatically then opened one eye.

Beca rolled her eyes and extended her arm. He took her hand and pulled her down.

"Off you go now, Mae," Jesse gestured for Mae to leave with his hand. Mae laughed and skated away.

He sat her on his lap and rubbed his hand on her leg. "You're freezing, Bec," he sniffed, frowning.

"I'm wearing a dress," she shrugged then smiled when he buttoned her Kashmir coat and opened his own coat.

"C'mere," he pulled her into his embrace.

She rested her head on the crock of his neck and enjoyed the warmth he was providing.

She slipped her arm behind and rubbed his back. "Where did you hurt yourself?" she asked, looking up from his neck.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "My butt is really cold. I can't feel anything right now, honestly," he rubbed his thumb on her cheek, gazing into her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she lied.

"Not true, but it's okay. You don't have to tell me," he paused. "Last time I pushed you to tell me what's bugging you, you dumped me."

"You're right, it's _not_ nothing. I just don't wanna talk about it right now," she got on her feet then helped him up.

She wanted to tell him about Matt and what she did for him but she knew how he'd react so she decided to postpone it.

"And, I didn't break up with you because you were pushy," she zipped his coat up.

"You see, turns out, I have a tendency to break things off with dudes I date when we reach a certain point in the relationship: a mark I subconsciously set that we eventually hit."

"We reached our mark?" he frowned, taking her hand and starting to skate.

"Nope," she shook her head and stopped skating then faced him. "Mom, brought up this _thing_ I do with men after I told her that I'm going to leave for L.A. and leave you. She said I'm using my work as an excuse to break up with you. Just like I used school to break up with Nick and marriage to break up with Cris," she chuckled humorlessly. "To prove to her and to myself that she's wrong and that I didn't end very healthy relationships because I'm messed up I broke up with you when I did."

He nodded as her words sunk in. She sniffed, feeling a lump in her throat when didn't say anything back and let go of her hand. "I'm really sorry," she apologized in a cracking voice.

"Shush," he pulled her in a hug. "You don't need to apologize," he shrugged.

"You hurt me by walking away. I hurt you when I pushed you away." He placed a kiss on her head. "We're even." He cupped her face when she pulled away from his hug. "I'm just happy I got you back," he smiled.

"Me too," she leaned in and kissed him. "I didn't bring Mae with us to act all sappy in front of her," Beca sniffed, pulling away.

"You have no idea how much I miss PDA with you," he sighed.

"I still got 4 pieces to pick," she told him as she skated away from him.

"Take your time," he followed her.

* * *

 **The next day.**

Beca was making her way to get through security when she felt a pair of arms around her waist.

"You didn't think I'd let you leave without wishing you farewell, did you?" Jesse said to her ear.

"I thought you did last night when I dropped you off at your place," she tilted her head and pecked his lips. He smiled and let go of her.

"Wow," Beca chuckled eyeing his sweater. "Someone is making a statement."

"Mae got me this sweater and told me that, and I quote, 'we're going to twin through the holidays'," he told her as he looked down at his Christmas sweater that had a huge Star of David in the middle.

"I'm supposed to wear this sweater throughout Christmas," he sighed, looking up.

"Well, you look great," she assured him.

"I got you something," he reached inside his pocket and pulled a silver treble clef necklace.

"This is really pretty, Jess, but you didn't have to," she eyed the necklace.

"I wanted to get you something for Christmas," he shrugged.

She leaned up and kissed him then gave him her back.

"Help me wear it?" she asked then felt his fingers brush her hair aside and help her wear the necklace.

"I really love it, Jesse," she held the treble clef between her fingers then threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly.

"What did you get Sammy?" she asked him pulling away.

"I have no idea what she likes these days so I got her a teddy her size," he rubbed the back of his neck. "And, I figured I'd sing for her," he shrugged.

"That's nice," she rubbed his arm.

"Yeah, Mae is gonna drive me to Sandra's place later," he informed her. "You should get going," he pulled her into his embrace and placed a forceful kiss on her head while she inhaled his scent. "Have a safe trip and most importantly have fun. Don't forget to text me when you land," he held her shoulders when he pulled away.

"I will," she reached for her suitcase and grabbed the handle.

* * *

 **Later that day.**

"Text me when you're going back to Brooklyn. I'm gonna be around, exploring this part of the city," Mae said watching Jesse nervously reach for the door.

"Thanks," he unlocked the door then got out.

"Relax Jesse, your kid will love the bear," Mae smiled at him as he grab his guitar case and the box he put the teddy bear in from the backseat.

"Yeah," he nervously chuckled. "Bye, Mae," he smiled at her closing the backseat door.

"Shalom," she started her car and took off.

"Shalom," he repeated under his breath watching Mae drive away.

* * *

"Sammy come say hi to daddy," Sandra called as she walked further inside her apartment. Jesse put down the box and his guitar down and anxiously waited to see his daughter.

"Daddy here?"

Jesse smiled hearing his daughter's voice then heard her footsteps as she ran out of what he guessed was her room.

He picked her up and hugged when she ran his way. "I'm sorry I don't come anymore," he said into her hair.

"Mommy say daddy's busy," Sam shrugged.

He showered her with kisses and hugged her tightly then glanced up seeing a man come out of his daughter's room. He placed a kiss on her cheek then looked back at the man who wrapped his arm around Sandra's waist.

"Hey, man," Jesse stepped forward and extended his hand, "I'm Jesse."

The man took his hand to shake, "Doug. I'm Sandy's boyfriend."

"Pleasure meeting you, Doug," Jesse shook his hand firmly and let go then smiled when Sam wrapped her arms around his shoulders and tightly hugged him.

"Sammy let daddy breathe," Sandra told their daughter.

"It's fine," Jesse placed a kiss on her head.

* * *

"Need some help?" Jesse asked as he stood in the kitchen doorway, watching Sandra pull a turkey from the oven.

"Shouldn't you be playing with Sam?" she glanced at him.

"She's having a tea party with Doug. I don't wanna crash their party uninvited," Jesse told her, hiding annoyance. "So, how can I help?" he asked again.

"I got it, Jesse," she said over her shoulders. "Sam misses you, you should be with her," she coldly said.

Jesse nodded and walked out. Jesse felt unwelcome.

His ex-wife would only smile in front of their daughter. Her boyfriend was snarling comments about how he bailed on his kid whenever he could.

The only person who was genuinely happy to see him was Sam.

He stood in the doorway and watched Sam giggle at something Doug said to her and realized how his presence was unnecessary. Doug seemed to be doing a great job doing _his job._

"Jess?" Jesse tilted his head hearing Sandra call his name.

"Here," she walked to him as she held a glass of whiskey, "You look like you need it," she extended her hand.

He felt his throat drying out as he eyed the glass.

"No," he cleared his throat when no voice came out. "No, thanks," he forced a smile.

She shrugged and sipped from it herself then frowned, glancing at his hands that started shaking.

"You okay, Jesse?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he stuffed one hand in his pocket and clenched the other one then glanced at the time. "I have to go," he told her then glanced at his daughter. He was going to lose his grip and didn't want to lose it in front of them.

"Jesse, I'm sorry if I sounded harsh just now," she apologized.

"Please, you have nothing to apologize for," he humorlessly chuckled and started to make his way to the front door.

"You're not gonna say goodbye to Sam?" she asked, following him.

"I'm sure she wouldn't notice if I disappeared from the face of the earth," he picked up his guitar case.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, standing in front of the front door to keep him from leaving.

"Nothing," he shrugged. "I'm sorry I came," he strapped the guitar case on his shoulder and looked at his feet. "I should have known better than to just show up."

"Sandra let him through," Doug spoke from Sam's bedroom's doorway. "If he doesn't want to be here then be it," he shrugged. "Sam doesn't need him."

"Don't speak for my daughter," Jesse warned behind gritted teeth.

"Or else what?" Doug challenged, pulling Sam closer to him when she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Jesse looked down at Sam who looked clueless and decided to drop it. He bit back what he had to say because his daughter didn't deserve to see them fight in front of her.

"Sammy, daddy has somewhere to be," he paused when his daughter removed herself from Doug and started making her way to him. "I'll come see you soon, okay?" he dropped on his knees and hugged her, placing a kiss on her head when she nodded into the hug.

* * *

"Excuse me," Beca said, looking at the caller ID, then walked out of the kitchen where she was helping her step mother with dinner.

"Hey," she greeted picking up.

"Hey, Bec," Jesse spoke from the other end. He was on the sidewalk in the snow waiting for Mae to come and pick him up. "How's Barden?" he asked.

"Pretty cool," she paused. "I'm helping Sheila with dinner."

"That's great," he nodded, deciding not to ruin her good mood with his problems. She sounded like she was having fun with her family.

"Tell me about dinner," he said, hearing her talk would distract him from his thoughts.

"Well, there's a turkey cooking in the oven. I peeled potatoes for the mashed potatoes. There's salad," Beca shrugged.

"You didn't cut yourself, did you?"

"I didn't—everything all right over there? How's Sammy?" she asked.

"Yeah," he lied. "Sammy grew an inch," he told her.

"What did she think of the bear?" Beca asked. His tone changed: she was sure something was up.

"She hasn't seen it yet, Santa comes tonight, Bec."

"Right," Beca shook her head. "Anything else you wanna tell me?" she asked.

"Sandra offered me whiskey, I freaked out and left," he told her after a long beat. He was a needy boyfriend and he knew and hated it.

"Are you okay now?" she asked.

"I don't know," he shrugged.

"That's not an answer," she ran her fingers through her hair. — _This is exactly why I didn't want to leave New York._ Beca blew a breath. "Babe, I won't be back in New York for a couple of days," she paused, "book a flight and come down here," she added, shrugging.

He still hadn't seen a therapist. He had to spend the money he saved to see one fixing the heat radiator. He never went to a support group: he didn't have a sponsor. He stopped taking the drug that helped with the craving 'cause they were quite pricey and he felt like he wouldn't need them anymore.

He was going to relapse.

"Bec, I can't book a flight even if I wanted to—"

"—I'll get you a ticket with my miles," she cut him off.

"Beca, it's Christmas, I doubt I'd find a flight," he told her then looked up, watching Mae pull over and honk for him to get in.

"Where are you now?" she asked.

"Right now, I just got inside Mae's car, she's driving me back to Brooklyn."

"Pass me, Mae," she told him.

"Hey, Mae, Beca wants to talk to you," he extended the phone.

"Okay," Mae took the phone. "What's up, Beca, how's Christmas going?"

"Awesome," Beca paused. "Mae, do you have anything important to do in the next couple of days?" Beca asked.

"It's Christmas, everyone is out of town visiting their family, so nope," Mae told her popping the p.

"Would you drive Jesse to Barden for a thousand bucks?" Beca asked.

"A thousand bucks. Barden," Mae paused. "Where is Barden exactly?" she asked.

"It's in Georgia," Beca told her. "It's a 12 hour drive from New York to Barden. I'd totally understand if you don't want to. It's a long ass drive."

She glanced at Jesse who was stomping his feet and rubbing his hands uncomfortably. "Okay, text me the address."

"Thank you so much, Mae," Beca sighed a sigh of relief. "I owe you a bunch," she scratched her head. "Everything you spend on pit stops is on me. Buy whatever the hell you need for the road—Can you pass me Jesse, please?" she requested.

"Jesse?" Mae shook his phone as she poked his shoulder.

"Huh?" he looked up and took his phone. "Yeah?" he brought it to his ear.

"Hang in there, Jesse," she told him softly.

"Mhmm," he nodded.

* * *

 **AN:**

Questions: Do you think Beca accepted Matt's gift? Would Mae keep what she learned about them to herself or would she slip? Is Jesse being actually needy or is turning to Beca the right call? Any thoughts or guess on what will happen once Mae and Jesse get to Barden?

You don't have to answer of these questions if you don't wanna, duh, but if you did I'd get some perspective.

Thank you for reading, people. I hope this story still interests you. Terribly sorry if it's dull and was a waste of time. Okay, bye now. Chicka, chi-kaaah!


	26. Chapter 26

After dinner, Beca asked if she could wash the dishes, desperately seeking a distraction. Time seemed to be passing agonizingly slowly.

She was drying a glass when Dr. Mitchell walked into the kitchen. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and eyed her as she absentmindedly placed the glass down.

"Is everything okay, kiddo?" he drummed his fingers on the bottle.

"Yeah," she nodded, looking up from the plate she was currently drying.

"Okay," he sipped his beer and started to make his way out of the kitchen.

"Um, dad?" Beca called.

"Yeah?"

"A couple of friends of mine are coming to Barden and they couldn't find a motel to stay in while they're in town," she paused.

She didn't even try to look for a motel. If she knew her dad well, he would offer to let them stay. And that was what she was hoping would happen.

"There's plenty of room here," he shrugged.

"Dad—"

"—any friend of yours is welcome to stay here," he cut her off, thinking she was going to turn him down.

"Thanks, a lot, dad," she smiled at her dad.

"When will they be arriving?" he asked.

"Tomorrow really early in the morning," she placed the plate down, "Jesse and Mae are going stay a couple of days in Barden then will finish their road trip to New York."

"Road trip, nice. Well, you let them in when they get here and I'll meet them later."

"Thank you, dad," she thanked.

* * *

Beca woke up at 5:44 am to her ringtone. She sat up and reached for her phone, hitting answer the moment she held her phone.

"We're in front of the house located on the address you texted," Mae said, sounding tired.

"Okay, hold on a second," Beca rubbed her eyes, climbing off of the bed. She paced her way to the front door, not caring that she was wearing a t-shirt and panties. She unlocked the door and realized was barefoot.

She looked up from her feet and at Jesse and Mae who were making their way to her. They both looked exhausted. Mae was yawning when she stepped inside the house.

"Follow me," Beca whispered as she locked the door. She started making her way up the stairs and glanced behind her to see them follow her.

She took them to the guestroom, "You could sleep in these," Beca handed Mae a t-shirt and sweatpants that she had picked for her.

"Thank you," Mae took them and stepped into the room.

"No, thank you," Beca thanked her and pulled the door behind her to let Mae sleep then grabbed Jesse's hand and took him to her room. She closed the door and turned on her heels to watch him pull a bourbon bottle from his coat.

"I bought this at a station we stopped at," he told her before she could say anything. She walked to him, cupped his face and tip toed to check his breath. He didn't smell like alcohol.

"I cracked Beca," he pulled away from her and ran his fingers through his hair. "I thought I had it under control but I cracked."

"What happened at Sandra's that made you crack?" she softly asked, taking the bottle away from him and putting it on the nightstand. It didn't make sense that he would just lose his grip at the sight of alcohol when he worked at a bar.

"I just realized how better off Sam would be without me." Jesse rubbed his face.

"What makes you think that?" she asked, stiffing a yawn.

"Doug. Um, Sandra's boyfriend is filling in just fine," he shrugged.

"Remember how Sandra called me skanky because your baby called mama in front of her?" Beca asked him, gently reaching to help him take off his coat.

He nodded, shrugging it off.

"She was jealous that I was in Sammy's life and that I had what she wanted and missed for six months when she could have avoided the whole thing if she would have just taken Sam with her."

She took his coat and put on a chair then turned around to find him looking down at his feet.

"She was jealous of my relationship with your kid. And, you're just jealous Doug built something with Sammy," she reached for his chin and tilted his head to make him face her.

"He will never take your place, you hear that?" she held his gaze until he nodded. "You're her very awesome dad who will always matter to her."

He inhaled deeply and nodded, convinced by what she said.

"C'mere," she hugged him and tip toed to place a kiss on his neck when he rested his cheek against her head.

Jealousy made him almost slip and it was starting to scare her. His fragility was scaring her. She knew that she had to come clean about what she did for Matt because keeping it away from him would only put her in a compromising position.

"How's the craving?" she asked, pulling away and cupping his face.

"It's there," he tsked.

"Jesse, you know I will always be here for you but you seriously need more than what I can offer."

She leaned up and kissed him. "Let me pay and you pay me back when you can, but please go see a therapist," she said pulling away.

"There will no need for that," he said making her frown.

"Remember the short I helped those college kids score?" he asked.

"Yeah?" she nodded.

"Well, it got me a _paying_ internship interview," he told her.

"When did that happen?" she asked, letting go of his face.

"I didn't want to tell you until I was sure it was for real," he rubbed her arms. "I just have to convince them to hire an old dude instead of some fresh out of college kid," he rested his chin on her head.

"When is the interview?" she asked.

"January the 7th," he told her, sounding anxious.

"Babe, you scored a feature length last year and you have composer credit on Mae's album—it's not out or remotely finished but updating your resumé and mentioning it should be enough." She looked up. "They'd be morons not to hire you talented ass." She grabbed his ass, making him chuckle in spite of himself.

"Does your dad know we're here?" he asked.

"He knows that my _friends_ will be staying with us," she removed herself from his embrace and grabbed the bourbon.

"Friends, huh?" he tried to smile at her but it was a weak attempt.

"Yep—I'm gonna go get rid of this. You make yourself confortable."

"Okay," he nodded. "Um, Bec, you got a sleeping bag or is there another guestroom?" he asked.

"What's wrong with my bed?" she frowned.

"Well, I'm supposed to be your _friend_. I don't know your dad but I doubt he'd be comfortable knowing that _a guy_ is sharing his daughter's bed _._ "

"I'll tell dad that you're my gay best friend," she joked turning on her heels and leaving the room.

Her joke confused Jesse because he didn't see her face and her tone didn't indicate that she was kidding.

* * *

Jesse woke up several hours later to find himself all alone in bed. He grabbed the sticky note that was on the headboard and rubbed his eyes before he could read.

 _ **'Your clothes are getting washed. I hope dad's sweats fit you. SHOWER. YOU SWEAT A LOT IN YOUR SLEEP. –Beca'**_

He thought back how he fell asleep with Beca in his arms, sharing sleepy kisses with her until he fell asleep and felt lucky to her because if it weren't for Beca he would have drank himself to sleep.

He made his way to the en-suite bathroom and saw that there was shaving cream, a razor and men's deodorant on the sink and a man's shampoo bottle in the shower. He guessed that they belonged to Dr. Mitchell.

He showed, shaved and wore the Barden University sweatpants and sweatshirt then chuckled finding a couple of slippers that also belonged to Dr. Mitchell.

Jesse got out of Beca's bedroom and walked down the stairs. He peeked his head, hearing Beca's voice then saw her standing in the kitchen. She was on the phone. He carefully walked to the kitchen and smiled seeing that she was all alone. He checked to see if the first floor was empty then wrapped an arm around her waist from behind.

She leaned into his embrace when he placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Morning," he said, placing a kiss on her hair once she hung up the phone.

"It's past 2 pm," she informed him, removing herself from his hold.

"Where's everyone?" he asked.

"Dad and Sheila went grocery shopping. Mae got up to eat then went back to bed."

"Your dad say anything about me spending the night in your bed?" he scratched his head, taking a seat on a stool.

"Eh, nothing," she shrugged and placed a cookie tray on the kitchen island. "Dad would never walk into my room unless the door is already open. He's frightened that he would catch me masturbating."

"Wow," he exclaimed.

"He is paranoid," she chuckled as she made him a mug of coffee.

"Has he ever—"

"—God no." She put the mug in the microwave to heat up.

"What about—" he whistled, making the index through hole gesture.

"I never brought anyone home," she grabbed a cookie.

"Never?" he arched an eyebrow.

"Never," she mumbled, biting into the cookie. "You're the first dude who has ever spent the night in my bed here," she pulled his mug from the microwave and sipped from it to wash down the cookie then put it in front of him.

"When will your dad and step mother be coming home?" he asked.

"They just got out, why?" she sucked her teeth.

He got up and walked around the island to pick her up and sit her on the kitchen island. "How are you feeling?" she asked, eyeing him.

"Better," he answered, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. "I'm really sorry," he tsked. "I shouldn't have called you last night. I made you worry and screwed your evening," he sighed, looking down at her hand that clasped with his. "And, holidays."

"Hey," she held his chin up, "I asked you to come down here. Besides, I only came to Barden 'cause mom asked me to. You didn't screw anything," she leaned in and kissed him. He placed a hand on the back of her head to keep her from pulling away.

"You smell like dad, this feels weird," she mumbled, cupping his face, before deepening the kiss.

Hearing footsteps coming from the staircase, Beca pulled away. Jesse rested his chin on her shoulder and looked at the door.

Mae walked in while she stretched and yawned then rubbed the back of her neck. "Hi," she greeted. "How long was I out?" she asked, taking a seat on a stool.

"Like five hours," Beca answered her, pushing Jesse and hopping off of the kitchen island. "Wanna eat?" she asked. "There's a lot of food. Sheila got so excited about the fact that there are more bodies she could feed so she made enough food to feed a soccer team," Beca sighed.

"I could eat," Mae nodded.

"I hope you're hungry," Beca told her as she heated up the meatballs and gravy Sheila made.

"There's still turkey from last night if you're still hungry," Beca said as she placed a plateful in front of Mae and a beer.

"You," she looked up at Jesse who was drinking his coffee. "I'm getting you out of dad's clothes," she added when he met her gaze.

"I know I'm dashing but control yourself, babe," he told her, making Mae chuckle.

"Dashing isn't the word I'd use to describe you," Beca said, watching Jesse sip from his coffee. "C'mon weirdo, your clothes must have dried out by now," she started making her way out of the kitchen.

"What then?" he started following her after he put the mug down.

"Charming, handsome, gallant, alluring, bewitching, charismatic, delightful?" he said as they walked down the stairs that led to the basement.

"Ravishing?" he arched an eyebrow once she stopped walking and turned to look at him.

"You're," she paused to think, "sweet," she shrugged and continued to walk.

"Sweet?" he frowned.

"Yep," she turned on the lights once she stepped foot inside the basement.

"Huh," he watched her walk to the washing machine. "So, I'm just _sweet?_ "

"No," she pulled the clothes. "You're a lot of things," she threw them in a hamper. "But you asked for the word I'd use to describe you," she ran her fingers through her hair before bending down to pick up his clothes.

Jesse took of the sweatshirt he was wearing and folded it before putting it on the couch that was in the basement before he slipped off the sweatpants and did the same with them.

"Here," Beca handed him his jeans which he took and wore.

"Bec, what are your plans for today?" he asked, buckling his belt.

"I thought I could work until around 6 then help Sheila with dinner," she informed him as he wore his plain white t-shirt.

"Work on Christmas?" he slipped on his sweater. "What's wrong with you?" he threw an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him.

"It's cold outside," she shrugged.

"I'll keep you warm," he leaned in and slipped his hand under her sweatshirt and rub it against her skin.

"Your hand is cold," she pecked his lips.

He smiled and kissed her while pulling her closer to him.

"Okay," she pulled away from the passionate kiss they were sharing and rested her hand on his chest.

"Looks like someone needs their fix," he said in a low voice into her ear, noting how she was trying to control her breathing.

"Now isn't the time nor place," she sighed when he nuzzled her cheek.

"You never brought a guy home," he said as his hand made its way to her back, "You missed out on sneaking around. The risk of getting caught by your parents is something you have to try," he placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Yeah, well, that's stuff is teenagers stuff," she pulled away. "I'm not gonna get grounded if I get caught."

"True, but we're supposed to be friends," he kissed her neck and grinned against it when she groaned.

* * *

"Dude, how are you going to explain that," she nodded at his boner as she slipped on her jeans.

"It'll go away," he blew a breath, trying adjust his junk. "I just have to think about the least sexy things I could think of," he threw her sweatshirt for her to catch and looked away from her.

"I can help you out—" she said suggestively as she caught the sweatshirt.

"—no," he shook his head. "It'll get messy," he glanced up when he saw that she was fully clothed.

"It doesn't have to get messy," she shrugged. "And before you freak out, no, I'm not talking about—" she whistled making the index through hole gesture, repeating what he did earlier.

"We've been down here for like an hour Bec," he looked down at his watch. "Your dad could be coming home."

"What happened to ' _the risk'_ I need to experience?" she walked to him until there was barely any space between them. "Look, if you don't me to, I won't do it," she said noting the very anxious look he had on his face.

"I would truly be a wimp if I refuse oral from my hot girlfriend," he smiled at her.

"You're not a wimp," she poked his chest then pushed him. He got the hint and sat down.

* * *

The look of horror on Jesse's face when they heard footsteps getting closer to the basement was so funny Beca almost chocked when she laughed.

"Bec, you down there?" Mr. Mitchell called. The voice was distant and Jesse was close so she chose getting Jesse off first over answering her dad.

"Babe, answer your dad," Jesse groaned. She shrugged as a reply did a couple of tricks that sealed the deal.

"Look normal," she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as he recovered.

He nodded, looking hazed, and quickly slipped back his boxers and jeans watching Beca stand up.

"Dad, I didn't see you there," Beca lied, looking up at the stairs when he stepped on them.

"Um, this is Jesse," she pointed at Jesse with her thumb when her dad looked behind her.

"Thank you for letting us stay with you, sir," Jesse said, hoping that he looked _normal_.

"Like I told Beca," he said as he walked down the stairs, "Any friend of Beca is welcome in our home," he extended his hand, reaching them. Jesse looked down at Dr. Mitchell's hand and went for a hug. The fact that his fingers were doing _things_ to his daughter made shaking hands with him seem very wrong.

"Thank you." Jesse clenched his fits, hugging Beca's dad tightly.

"He's a hugger," Beca tried to explain the very unexpected hug to her dad who looked very confused before she went to pick up the clothes hamper that had Mae's clothes.

"What's up dad?" she asked, walking pass them and starting to climb the stairs.

"I came down to ask if you think you could go down to campus," he scratched his head once Jesse pulled away.

"Why?" she asked, glancing at her dad.

"A word got out that you're in town," he said as he climbed the stairs. "We got cornered at the grocery store by some kids and we sort of promised them we'd ask you to go there."

"And by we you're referring to your wife?" Beca asked then looked behind her dad as she reached to unlock the door.

"Yes, Beca," Dr. Mitchell sighed. "You know Sheila, she's too nice to say no," he followed her when she turned on her heels. "You don't have to spend a day there. Just, show up. They really love you Bec, it's weird."

"Are you talking about her nerdy a cappella fans?" Jesse asked, figuring out what Dr. Mitchell was asking Beca to do.

"Yes. Have you never met an a cappella kid?" Dr. Mitchell asked Jesse.

"Yep," Jesse nodded at Beca.

"Have you met her teammates?" Dr. Mitchell asked.

"Uh-huh." Jesse took a moment to think about the bellas.

"These kids are 10 times stranger than them," he said in a low voice.

"Got it," Jesse nodded.

"I wanna meet these people you're talking about," Mae said, catching up on their conversation. "I love Beca's friends."

"When did you meet them?" Jesse asked.

"Thanksgiving."

"Mae, wanna change back into your clothes?" Beca asked to interrupt them.

"Yep," Mae nodded.

"I'll go to BU," Beca looked at her dad. "Tomorrow," she turned on her heels. "C'mon, Mae," she called over her shoulders.

"I'm going to the mall, wanna go with me?" Beca asked Mae once they got to the guestroom.

"When, now?"

"Yeah," Beca nodded. "Jesse got me this," she held the treble clef between her fingers. "I kind of have to get him something for tonight," she told Mae.

"Got something in mind?" Mae asked, taking the hamper from Beca.

"Nope," Beca stuffed her hands in her back pockets, "I'm gonna wing it."

* * *

"What's happening right now?" Beca asked, closing the door behind her after she and Mae got inside the house.

"they're play chess?" Mae said as they both watched Jesse fixated on the chess game in front of him then made his move.

"You're good," Dr. Mitchell said watching Jesse grin, as he captured the king, then say, "checkmate."

"Thank you," Jesse laid back against his chair.

"They're bonding," Beca grimaced then held up one of the shopping bag she was holding when Jesse glanced at her. She told him she and Mae were going out to buy clothes for them, his shampoo and deodorant because he really smelled like her dad and it was weird.

He nodded and looked back at her dad.

"Excuse me, sir," he got up.

Mae looked at Beca who was walking up the stairs then at Jesse who was making his way to her and decided she'd distract Dr. Mitchell so that they could talk in private and no one would notice.

"I was in the chess club back when I was in highschool," Mae told Dr. Mitchell as she took Jesse's seat.

* * *

"You and dad are best friends now?" Beca asked when Jesse joined her in her bedroom.

"He's great and not half as intimidating as your mom," he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, he's the approchable one." She looked up. "What took you so long?" she asked. She saw him when he got up but he didn't follow her right away.

"I just had something to talk to Mae about," he shrugged, pecking her temple.

"What's up?" she asked.

"She's driving me to the mall," he rested his cheek on her head. "I need to get your family some gifts for letting us stay."

"Why didn't you come with us?" she asked.

"Because your dad clearly wanted to interrogate me," he told her. "Make sure he's not hosting a serial killer."

"I'm guessing it went well since you were just playing chess," she shrugged.

"It went really well."

"When are you going to the mall?"

"As soon as Mae is done playing chess with your dad," he turned her around and watched her yawn.

"You need a power nap," he held her shoulders.

She fell asleep an hour before they got to Barden and couldn't fall asleep again because he had nightmares that were pretty vivid and that she refrained from telling him about knowing that he will feel guilty for being the reason she didn't sleep.

"Which one has my deodorant?" Jesse asked. Beca walked to the shopping bags and pulled it then threw it for him to catch.

He spared it all over himself. "It won't be weird now when I hold you," he put the deodorant on the nightstand and joined her on the bed.

Beca sucked in a deep breath, resting her head on his chest and closing her eyes. "This is nice," she snuggled up to him.

"It is," he agreed, rubbing her arm.

"Could you set my alarm for 5:30 I still want to fall asleep at night?" she sleepily asked but it was barely audible so he didn't catch it.

"Sleep tight," he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I love you."

Her next mumble made him smile because it sounded like, "you too."

* * *

 **AN:** I'm gonna stop here. I hope this wasn't too boring 'cause it's sort of an exposition plot chapter. I'm building up to the next one. I thought I could stuff them all in one chapter then I looked at how much I've written and realized that it won't happen.

Until next time I guess. Thank you for your awesome support. Let me know what you think. It's always nice to read reviews. Also, I'm in no mood to proofread, it's hard enough to write in the first place. I will come around and force myself to sit and proofread someday. Okay, bye now. *virtual hugs*


	27. Chapter 27

"You're up," Jesse said as he walked in holding a shopping bag.

"I got up around 6," she told him. "I thought I told you to set the alarm to 5:30."

"I didn't hear you," he walked to her bed and eyed the box she put aside. "How was your nap?" he asked, placing the shopping bag on the bed where she was sitting Indian style in the middle.

"Pretty refreshing," she leaned up and pecked his lips. "What did you get for dad and Sheila?" she asked when he sat down and kicked off his shoes.

"An apron for your step mother that has this cool sort of cheats for recipes and a magnetic bottle opener and cap catcher Dr. Mitchell." He pulled the presents and put them on the bed.

"I'll help you wrap these up," she told him as she grabbed wrapping paper.

"What did you get them?" he asked.

"A slow cooker for step monster and a champagne sabre for dad," she nodded at the already wrapped presents that were on her bedroom floor.

"How did you get a sword on board?" he asked watching her carefully cut the paper.

"I didn't. I bought it here. I bought both their Christmas presents here," she looked up for a second. "I'm getting really good at winging everything."

"Okay," he paused, thinking back at the time he told her she winged everything she did, in a fight, "I apologized for saying that," he reminded her.

She smiled at the look he had on his face. He looked like a puppy. Thinking about puppies made her think of Jesse's dog, Bender.

"Dude, Bender is all alone in New York," she said in horror.

"Nope," he pulled his phone. "He's with Kate," he opened his messaging app. "She offered to watch over him when I told her that I was working a double shift," he showed Beca a picture of his dog wearing an elf hat and looking pretty happy.

He noted how she frowned hearing his neighbor's name. "We ran into each other in the elevator. She told me that she wasn't going home over the holidays. Before we took off to Barden, I texted and asked if she could watch over him until I'm back and she said yes."

"That's pretty convenient."

"You're not mad, are you?" he asked reaching for her hand.

"No, of course, not," she clasped their hands together and smiled at him when he brought the base of her knuckles to his lips and placed a kiss on them.

Jesse's neighbor Kate, who she never liked, reminded her of how Jesse never liked Matt. And, thinking of Kate made her think of how she should tell Jesse already about the fake girlfriend thing. Him almost losing his grip because of jealousy was the reason she hadn't yet.

"How are things downstairs?" she asked.

"Pretty festive," he paused. "I'll finish these. You should go down."

"It's fine. I like wrapping gifts," she shrugged then glanced up to see him rub the back of his neck thinking.

"Am I gonna find rose pedals all over my bed later?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No, what made you think that?" he stopped rubbing his neck.

"A _womanly_ hunch," she shrugged, finishing up her dad's present and putting it aside. "And you look like you're plotting something," she added, hearing him chuckle.

"I'm not plotting anything," he shrugged, playing it cool.

* * *

 _ **Later that day.**_

"Beca," Dr. Mitchell called, watching Beca walk into the living room along with Jesse after they both insisted they do the dishes— it was more like, Beca said she'll do it and Jesse jumped after her.

"Here," he extended his arm, holding a small box.

"I thought we were done with gifts for the night, dad," she took it from him. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and watched her remove the paper before she opened it.

"That was your grandma's," he told her when she kept looking at the ring her dad just gave her. "She gave it to me before passing away and told me to give it to you."

"I'm sorry I missed the funeral," she apologized for missing her grandmother's funeral because she couldn't drop work. He gave her a small smile as a reply.

"Why give it to me?" she asked.

"There's no grandson," he shrugged. "And, she was pretty sure you prefer women and could give it to your future _wife_ ," he added and watched Beca look up.

"I like _men_ ," she said and glanced at Mae who chuckled, thinking back at the time the Bellas discussed Beca's sexuality over thanksgiving dinner.

"Yeah, I told her," he said and watched Beca wear it.

"Thanks, dad," she thanked him, he extended an arm and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm just delivering, Bec," he placed a kiss on her forehead. "Now, who's got a suggestion for what movie we gonna watch?" Dr. Mitchell asked, removing his arm from around his daughter.

"I do," Jesse quickly answered. "Elf."

"Is it on Netflix?" Mae asked.

"I don't know," Jesse paused. "But I have the Blu ray."

Jesse bought the Blu ray when he and Mae got out.

* * *

Dr. Mitchell and Sheila went to bed after they finished the movie while the rest decided to watch Bad Santa next.

"I know I said we should watch die hard," Mae yawned, getting up as credit started to roll. "I can't. I just can't," she shrugged.

"It's only, 11:40," Jesse glanced at his watched.

"I need my beauty sleep," she stretched.

"Good night then," he smiled at her while making lazy trails on Beca's arm, who was curled up fast asleep in his arms.

"Night," she said then turned on her heels.

Jesse waited until Mae reached the second floor before he sat up.

He cleaned up the living room; took all the glasses, bowls, bottles of beer (that he didn't go near, of course) to the kitchen. He washed the dishes then walked back to the living room and turned the TV off.

"Jesse?" Beca sleepily called.

"Hey, you're up." He watched her sit up.

"Yeah," she rubbed her eyes and stood up.

"C'mon, let's go to bed," she reached for his hand. He picked her up bridal style instead.

The walk to her bedroom was quiet, Beca had her head rested against his chest and didn't look up until he unlocked her bedroom door.

"Your _womanly_ hunch was right," he said, watching her eye the Christmas lights he had set up on her bed's headboard and the wall.

"You like it?" he asked, closing the door behind them.

"I'm feeling the Christmas spirit," she kept eyeing the lights.

"I'm gonna use the bathroom," he sat her down on the bed.

Beca slipped of her jeans and took off her sweater and the tank she was wearing underneath, staying only in her underwear, before she hopped off of the bed and walked to her suitcase to pick something to wear to sleep. She glanced at the en-suite bathroom's doorway feeling Jesse's gaze.

"What is it, nerd?" she asked, seeing that he looked like he wanted something.

"I love you," he smiled at her as he made his way to her.

"You too," she leaned into his embrace, when he placed a hand on her waist, then kissed his softly. She was surprised when he kissed her back with more force than he usually did. She dropped the t-shirt she picked and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He picked her up and helped her wrap her legs around his waist then slid her on the bed and climbed on top of her never breaking the kiss.

It had been more than three months since he kissed her with any reluctance and it was weird at first then it clicked.

"Jesse, are we gonna have sex?" she breathlessly asked, abruptly pulling away. "And I mean you inside me kind of sex not oral," she quickly added.

"I had a long speech prepared on how you deserve to be treated all figured out then I saw you in your underwear and I kind of forgot it all."

Beca was about to tell him that he didn't answer her question but didn't when he got off of her and pulled his phone from his pocket.

"Good thing I took notes," he blew a breath, unlocking his phone's screen. "All right, here goes nothing," he cleared his throat. "You're out of my league. No, we don't even belong to the same league. You've been helping me find my old self back without once asking for anything back—" he looked up from his phone when she sat up and then took his phone away from him.

"You don't need to give a speech," she put it on the nightstand then cupped his face."I don't ask for anything back because you've been nothing but good to me. You are nailing this so there's no need to feel you're not _treating me right_ ," she pressed her lips against his, kissing him softly. "Pun very much intended," she added, pulling away and making him chuckle.

"God, I love you," he said as felt her move her arms and wrap them around his neck.

"I love you, too," she mumbled when he leaned in leaving less than inch of distance between them. "I'm serious, Jesse, I can wait," she scratched the back of his neck.

"I know," he brushed his lips against hers then pulled away to look her in the eye as he talked. "Since you don't want to hear a full length speech, let me just say that recently I realized that I have this very awesome woman who cares a lot about me without expecting anything in return and I shouldn't be scared of giving her everything I have to offer." He took a lock of her hair between his fingers and shrugged.

"Does the blow job I gave you have anything to do with this realization?" she asked when he went quiet.

"No," he shook his head. "It was on the road," he leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I almost forgot how talented you are in that area," he said into her ear then pulled away, "There's this thing you—"

"—you really gonna talk about blow jobs?" she asked in disbelief.

"Sorry," he apologized, shaking his head.

"It's okay," she pulled him down, grinning when he kissed her.

* * *

Beca rested her weight on her elbow when Jesse walked out of the bathroom after getting rid of the condom. She watched climb the bed then leaned against his chest when he invited her. She leaned up and kissed him, cupping his cheek when kissed her back. She was secretly checking if he regretted having sex and he seemed relaxed.

He pulled away first and smiled at her.

"You think we woke anyone up?" Beca asked, rested her head against his chest and grabbing his arm to look at the time on his watch to find it 3:22 am.

"Nah," he looked down at his shoulder where she bit him to keep herself from moaning loudly. There were scratching marks on his back as well. "I doubt it." He watched Beca sit up and look around then shake her head, "Yeah, this isn't gonna work," she said after moving her legs.

"What's wrong?" he ran his finger over her shoulder.

"My legs gave up on me that's what's wrong— it's not wrong, actually," she paused. "It's pretty amazing," she leaned in and kissed him. He grinned and rolled her over, climbing on top of her as they made out.

"No, wait," she pulled away. "You're distracting me," she added, slapping his hand away.

"What do you want me to get you?" he asked, sitting up.

"That gift over there," she pointed at, "next to my suitcase."

He walked to it and picked it up. "Wow, this is big."

"You got me and my family Christmas presents," she watched him walk back to bed.

"You didn't have to me anything," he shrugged, climbing back to bed.

"I know," she nodded. "I didn't give to your earlier because I'm selfish enough to want to be the only one around when you open," she smiled watching the grin on his face as he removed the paper.

"I figured that since you got an internship you'd need a new bag," she said when he held the black leather messenger bag.

"I still have to interview for it but thanks, Bec," he pressed his lips against hers in soft kiss before he shifted his attention back to the bag.

He ran his hand over the bag then opened it to check the inside. "I also put in some stuff you might need," she shrugged. Jesse pulled pack of blank music sheets, a clipboard, a notebook and a file folder along with some pens and pencils.

"I know that it's usually just getting coffee and snacks for everyone at first but you will come around to compose at some point," she said as he eyed the stuff she got him. "And you will get it. I know you will."

"I love these," he put them back in the bag. "I love everything you got me," he put it down. "Thanks, Bec," he thanked her. "Thank you for everything," he leaned in, pressing his lips against hers, then hugged her tightly. She placed a kiss on his cheek and pulled away then curled up and closed her eyes feeling him peck her temple.

"Jesse, could you hand me my phone?" she asked. He reached for her phone on the nightstand and grabbed, "here."

"Looks like it's not just us up this late," he deadpanned when she unlocked her phone to find a text from Matt. "Do you always text in the middle of the night?" he asked.

"No, we don't text in the middle of the night. Matt's probably drunk," she told him, looking up. "You used to drunk text me all the time," she reminded him. He nodded, placing a kiss on her forehead and watched her tilt her head and set the alarm at 8 am.

"That's early, Bec," he rested his cheek on her head.

"I'm going to keep on hitting snooze until one us wakes up," she yawned.

"Great plan," he said, eyeing her lock her phone and toss it on the bed.

* * *

 _ **Next day.**_

Beca rang the doorbell and stuffed her hands in her pocket then looked between Jesse, who was standing to her left, and Mae, who was standing to her right.

"Be nice," she said then tilted her head to look at Jesse. "Please," she added.

"Bec, I'm always nice." He clenched his chest dramatically.

The three of them looked at the door when it opened and girl stepped out of the house.

"Can I help you?" she asked. She looked like she just woke up and it was nearing 2 pm.

"Hi, I'm Beca," Beca introduced herself, praying to god that the girl wouldn't make it awkward. "Um, Beca—"

"—Mitchell," the girl's eyes winded as she cut Beca off. "You're smaller in person," she added, eyeing Beca.

"Yeah," Beca smiled tightly at the girl who looked between Jesse and Mae. "These are my friends, Jesse and Mae."

"Hi," Jesse grinned. Mae waved.

"C'mon on in," she opened the door wide open, inviting them in. "GIRLS!" the girl yelled stepping back, "BECA MITCHELL IS HERE."

Jesse and Mae exchanged looks when they heard how high the girl's voice went.

Beca took a look around at the house and smiled. It wasn't the same house she lived at but it felt like it.

In mere minutes she was surrounded by current Barden Bellas.

* * *

"You guys are ready for tonight's riff-off?" Beca asked as they sat in the living room.

"Yeah," A tall blonde enthusiastically said.

"What the hell is a riff-off?" both Mae and Jesse asked in unison.

"It's something awesome," Beca smirked.

"You should come, if you can," an Indian chimed in.

"Yeah, Bec," Jesse agreed with the girl, amused by the look on Beca's face. She really didn't want to do it.

"The trebles are hosting it in their house this year," the same girl continued.

"You could sing with us," a hazel eyed brunette quietly suggested.

"I wanna see you sing, again," Mae brought the mug of tea they served her to her lips, "live." She took a sip.

"You're the recording artist, you should sing," Beca tried to turn it around. Jesse and Mae seemed to love how she was struggling.

"Yeah," the blonde agreed with Beca. "You both can join us for the night." She gestured between Beca and Mae.

"You should totally do it," Jesse grinned.

"If you can sing the trebles would take you in. Two of their lead vocalists left for the holidays," the blonde told Jesse.

"I'd love to," he said in excitement. "This is gonna be awesome," he said as held Beca's gaze. He had no idea what a riff-off was but how bad could it be?

* * *

"The rule is simple." A guy clasped his hands together as he spoke. "You can only sing Christmas songs which their title begins with the letter that comes on the screen." He pointed at the screen. "Otherwise you are." He clapped and so did everyone, except for Mae and Jesse. "Cut off," he said and they all echoed.

"Winner takes home a 100 dollar iTunes gift card," he told everyone then pointed at Beca. "From our very own BU graduate Beca Mitchell."

Beca awkwardly waved at them.

The original prize was a pair of beats headphones. Beca figured they have an actual prize to compete for so she stepped in.

"Wait, she shouldn't be competing with the Bellas. That's cheating," One of the BU harmonics said.

"No, it's not," the presenter shook his head. "She's a Bella," he shrugged.

"What about the other one?"

"I'm Jewish," Mae pointed down at the huge star of David on her sweater. "I don't know that many Christmas songs," she shrugged.

"Can we start?" A treble asked, slightly annoyed by the interruption.

"Yeah," the presenter nodded.

The first letter was I.

The trebles were first to jump, singing _'I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus'_

"I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus

Underneath the mistletoe last night.  
She didn't see me creep  
Down the stairs to have a peek

She thought I—"

They were cut off by the High notes, singing _'I'll be home for Christmas'._

"—I'm dreaming tonight

Of a place I like

Even more than I usually do

And though I know it's a long way back

I promise you..."

The letter changed to G, so the Bellas were quick to jump in, singing, _'Good king Wenceslas.'_

It went on for quite some time. They kept interrupting each other. Going from letter to letter.

Beca was pulling back and didn't jump in on multiple occasions because the BU harmonic member was right, she shouldn't be playing.

Jesse and Mae were having the time of their lives, not actually participating in creating the harmony but jumping at the chances they got when they knew a song that would work.

When the letter changed to S, Jesse practically pushed his way to the front to sing TLC's _'Sleigh Ride.'_

"Let's have a very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

 _"a happy new year"_

The trebles backed him up.

"Give with love and joy and happiness

And lots of good cheer

I want you to have

A very merry Christmas

And a happy New Year

Filled with love and joy and happiness

And lots of good cheers."

Jesse winked at Beca who rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Just hear those sleigh bells jing-a-ling

Ring-ting-ting-a-ling too

It's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you

Outside the snow is fallin

And friends are calling you

It's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you—"

Beca couldn't just let him have it. She stepped in front of him, interrupting with Onyx, Salt‐N‐Pepa, Diddy, Puff Daddy, The Christmas All Stars, Snoop Dogg, Rev Run,Mase & Keith Murray's _'Santa baby'_

"—you with the Cadillac and asked him "yo what's up with that? "

He said "There ain't no Christmas kid" and I can't get him back

Back in the days, Christmas was deep

My moms put presents under the tree while I played sleep

And peeped ha! Santa Claus never gave me nuthin

Seen them mad faces, lying and frontin

So do some good to the ghetto, Mr. Chris Kringle

Come and stay awhile, kick it with god's angel

Take and acknowledge my wisdom and understand

That santa claus is a black man

Word up."

Beca looked at the Bellas when they didn't back her up and saw that they didn't seem to know the song.

"Keep going," Jesse nodded.

"Santa baby

Just slip a benzo under the tree for me"

The Indian girl began to sing the hook, barely remembering the words. Beca grinned and joined her as the rest of the Bellas began to harmonize.

"A '98 convertible, light blue

I'm looking for a fly guy, like you

So hurry down the chimney tonight..."

They all kept repeating the last line and acknowledged that the Bellas had just won.

Jesse kept looking at Beca as the Bellas collectively hugged her, celebrating their victory, then all went to get celebratory drinks. He saw Beca's grandmother's ring when it fell so he walked to where she was standing and it picked up.

* * *

When Beca managed to get away from the aca-celebration, she found Jesse sitting on a couch, sipping a ginger ale, while a passed out treble slept against his shoulder.

"You having fun, nerd?" Beca asked, hopped next to him.

"Yeah," he nodded. "These kids make me feel like I'm a dinosaur," he told her as he eyed college kids behave their age e.i. have fun.

"You are kind of like a dinosaur," she rested her elbow on the couch and turned to face him. "That cute baby dinosaur from The Land Before Time," she took his ginger ale and sipped from it.

"Ducky?" he guessed.

"Yep, yep, yep," she said, quoting the movie and handing him back his ginger ale.

"Where's Mae?" he asked her.

"She's doing a keg stand in the basement," she leaned in to look at the passed out guy. "Did you check his pulse?" she asked.

"Yes, I did." He looked at him as well. "I made him drink water, too," he tilted his head to look at her to find her looking around.

"Is this what you're looking for?" he asked, pulling her grandmother's ring from his pocket and holding it up for her.

"Yes," Beca nodded and took it from him then wore it.

"Oh, my god," a girl exclaimed catching the part where Beca said yes.

"What?" another asked and followed the girl's gaze.

"Congratulation!" the passed out treble got up to see them as both Beca and Jesse froze.

"No," Beca shook her head but it was too late. They started to congratulate her and Jesse without giving them a chance to explain. It got out of control when they started to sing for them A-cappella.

"Guys," Beca called. "Jesse, do something," she elbowed him. He whistled really loudly which worked.

"No one is getting married," she started to say. "Jesse was helping me find my ring that I dropped. That's all. I'm _not_ going to marry him. Period."

Her tone hurt Jesse a little. She made marrying him sound like the last thing she would do. He swallowed it down and told himself that she was just trying to get it through the thick drunk skulls surrounding them that no proposal happened.

* * *

Jesse spend the rest of the evening playing a _stupid_ game that consisted of just saying a number then throwing a dice and hoping it's what you said. While Beca took care of the drunks and truly felt like the grown up in the room.

She was holding a girl's hair's back as she puked when her phone rang.

"What's up?" she asked, picking up and cradling the phone against her shoulder.

 _"Good evening, fake girlfriend,"_ Matt said in amusement, sounding pretty drunk.

Beca glanced at the time and saw that it was nearing 10 pm.

"What's up?" she asked again as she rubbed the girl's back.

 _"I'm just calling to check up on you, so how are you?"_

"I'm good." She stepped back and picked up the bottle of water she brought from the kitchen. "You?" Beca handed the girl the water. "Everything all right there?" she asked the girl when she finished drinking.

The girl nodded.

"Wash up," Beca told her.

"Matt, you there?" she asked Matt, watching the girl wash her face then handed her a towel.

 _"Beca, would you, like, fuck me?"_ he casually asked.

"I'm hanging up now—"

 _"—Wait, that's not—wait, wait,"_ he hiccuped. She didn't hang up. _"I meant, like, am I fuckable?"_ he asked.

"Dude, what's going on?" she asked.

 _"Just answer me, please?"_

She took a moment to think about it, he sounded really weird. She figured she'd give him an honest answer. Matt spent more time at the gym than he did at work, he's buffed. His eyes were forest green and she avoided looking right into his eyes because would end up staring. Personally wise, he was mostly an asshole who had some growing up to do but was also a sweetheart.

"You are," she answered. "Who hurt your self-esteem, buddy?" she asked as she walked out of the bathroom, guiding the drunk girl to the first couch she found.

 _"It's just hit me that I never actually been loved. The only girls that went out with me did it 'cause I'm like a party god,"_ he slurred.

"Oh, boy," Beca murmured.

" _No one really fucked me 'cause they like **like** me_ ," he paused to take a sip from his drink. _"I just went down my feed on Facebook and most my pals from college look happily in love."_

"Matt, you're 25 years old, you'll find someone," she said in an attempt to comfort him. "Are you at your parents' house?" she asked, changing the subject because if she let him continue with his rant he would take forever.

 _"Yeah, on the porch,"_ he told her. Porch meant beach house at the Hampton. It was late and cold and he was going to catch a cold if he stayed there.

"Why don't you put down whatever it is you're drinking and go drink some water instead?" she carefully asked. It did the go sober up talk so many times with Jesse over the first six months he lived in New York she became an expert.

 _"No."_

"Matt, do you really think getting hammered will solve shit," she sighed. "I thought so too," she said when he groaned. "Now go drink water and catch some sleep," she told him.

 _"Anything else?"_

"Eat," she shrugged, looking up to see Jesse sitting on the floor playing the dice game, not far away from her.

 _"Okay,"_ he chuckled.

"I have to go now, bye," she said and hung up the phone before making her way to Jesse.

He glanced at her when she sat down next to him.

"Who was that on the phone?" he asked, throwing the dice, even though he knew it was Matt since he heard her say his name.

"Just a friend," she waved it off.

"He texts you in the middle of night and calls you drunk," he quietly said in annoyance. "And, he's just a friend?"

"Yes," she frowned at his tone.

"I used to do these things," he said avoiding to look at her.

"Whoa there," she held his chin up. "Don't compare yourself to _Matt_ or anyone else for that matter."

He gazed into her eyes and noticed how her tone changed when she said Matt's name.

"What is it, Bec?" he asked as she looked away for a second and let go of his chin.

Beca decided to tell him about what she did for Matt and get it over with. He could tell she was keeping something from him. And, she hated keeping it from him.

"The night I went with Matt to his parents' party, I pretended that I was dating him," she paused to note his reaction.

He had a stoic expression on his face as he asked, "why?"

"He went behind my back and let his parents believe that he and I were seeing each other." She watched him as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I only played along for the night 'cause his dad's a huge dick to him but likes me. They made some progress and I couldn't ruin it by telling his dad the truth."

"While pretending did you kiss him in front of his family?" he asked after a beat.

"No," she answered. "Dude, I wouldn't cheat on you," she defensively added.

"Well, we're not really dating," he shrugged and got up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she followed him as he made his way to the front door.

"No one knows abut us," he said, shrugging. "I'm your dirty little secret that no one should know about," he turned around and told her as he unlocked the door to get out.

Was he jealous that she was doing what she used to do for him when he called drunk? Yes, very much.

Was he overreacting? Nope, he didn't think he was.

"You know very well that what you just said is not true," she said, locking the door behind her. She kept her cool because him getting jealous was what she was expecting.

"No, Beca, you don't want to be linked to me. Like, just now, you freaked out when they thought you agreed to marry me," he raised his voice and pointed inside the house.

"Yeah, I freaked out. Who wouldn't?" she asked as she crossed her arms. She was prepared for jealousy not getting yelled at. "A bunch of drunk kids started congratulating us on getting engaged. What was I supposed to do?"

"Not act like it's the last thing you would do maybe?" Okay, maybe it wasn't just jealousy that was clouding his thoughts. He was annoyed with her reaction and the news about Matt set him off.

"Listen, you're making a deal out of this and I don't want to fight over it," she sighed, rubbing her eyes. He was starting to piss her off and she didn't want to fight.

"What, I can't argue with you now?" he asked. "I know, my track record is shit but I'm pretty sure that talking and being honest are the keys to maintaining a relationship."

"Being honest?" She arched an eyebrow, looking up.

"Yeah," he nodded. "You're keeping things from me." He shrugged.

"Have you asked yourself why I'm keeping these _"things"_ from you?" she asked, using air quotations. "Here's a hint: take a look at yourself right now," she nodded at him. "I'm gonna get Mae. We're leaving," she told him and turned on her heels, leaving him on the porch.

He looked down at his shaking clenched hands and tsked feeling the dreaded dryness in his throat. He held his head, closing his eyes and sucking in a deep breath in an attempt to control his breathing.

Jesse swore under his breath, feeling like the biggest jerk in the world for the way he talked to Beca.

* * *

 **AN:** Thank you for reading people. I'd very much would like to hear thoughts on the all the stuff that happen in this chapter and what you think would happen next.


	28. Chapter 28

The silent treatment really bothered Jesse. He just couldn't stand it. He tried to apology for yelling at her and she acknowledged him with _a nod_ while keeping her eyes on the road.

Arriving at her dad's house, Jesse suggested they try and sober up Mae before she goes to bed and Beca agreed with _a nod_.

Jesse helped Mae out of the back seat then followed Beca into the very quiet house.

"She's gonna vomit," Beca said, glancing at Mae as she fixed her something to eat.

"Fuck," Beca muttered when Mae started gagging on the kitchen floor before she could do anything about it.

Jesse jumped to avoid getting vomit on himself and to get Mae a glass of water. Beca took the hair elastic she had around her wrist and used it to hold Mae's hair back. She rubbed her back while eyeing the floor she was going to clean.

"You okay?" Beca asked her once she stopped gagging. Mae nodded.

"Here, drink this," Jesse helped her sit up and handed her a glass of water.

He looked over at Beca and saw her huff and turn on her heels. He guessed she was going to get something to clean the vomit.

"I'm gonna take her to bed," he said in a voice loud enough for Beca to hear. And as he expected she didn't say anything back. He took Mae to the guest room; he took off her shoes and helped her get under the covers.

"Hey can we talk?" he hesitantly said walking into the kitchen where Beca was knelt on the floor, cleaning it.

He watched her then sighed, "Please."

She dropped the cloth in the bucket after she was done.

"It's late and I'm tired," she said as she got up.

"Just 15 minutes?" he looked at her hopeful she'd agree. He really hated to sleep on it because he wouldn't be able to sleep.

She took a seat by the kitchen island and rested her hands on her thighs as she looked at him, accepting to listen to him and get it over with.

"I'm sorry for how I acted," he said, pulling a chair and placing it in front of her before he sat down. "I'm sorry I made a big deal out of it. And, I'm sorry I yelled."

He swallowed when she kept eyeing him and didn't say anything back.

"Matt gave me a diamond bracelet," she told him after a beat.

"What?" he frowned.

"That's the one thing that I'm still keeping from you. Now you know," she shrugged.

"Diamond bracelet," he leaned against the chair.

"Yeah, he gave it to me the night I pretend to be dating him."

"So, he, like, paid you for pretending to be his girlfriend?" he said in annoyance.

"You basically called me a liar earlier, and, now you're implying that I'm a whore," she nodded to herself, "great." She hopped off the chair.

"What? No!" he sat up and reached for her arm.

"Then watch what comes out of your mouth," she said in frustration as she pulled her arm from his hold.

"Why did he get you a bracelet?" he asked.

"It's a Christmas present," she answered, running her fingers through her hair. "I wanted to give it back but he told me to throw it away instead. I'm gonna sell it and give the money to some charity."

"He's really tryna impress you, huh?" he turned his chair around and watched her as she started to pace around the room.

"He knows I'm not interested." She glanced at him, bringing her nails to her lips and starting to bite them.

"You sure about that?" he asked her.

"For fucks sake, Jesse," she tried to not raise her voice but it was hard to keep it low.

"What?" he looked at her expectantly. "He really likes you. His family loves you, apparently. You like him, too. It'll be easier with him." He shrugged.

"Dude, if you wanna convince me to break up with you should try something other than talking me into it," she paused, sucking a breath. "You're trying to make this about Matt when it's not," she said as she stopped pacing. "You just don't want to face your problems—"

"—You wanna talk problems?" he challenged. She nodded.

"You have PTSD and you are completely ignoring it."

He got up on his feet.

"PT what?"

"Post-traumatic stress disorder."

"I'm fine."

"Yeah?" she chuckled humorlessly. "Explain this to me then: why couldn't you drive?" she asked.

After helping Mae get in the backseat, Jesse pulled the car keys from her pocket climbed in the driver's seat then froze.

"I wasn't feeling well," he shrugged.

"And you won't until you deal with your issues."

"Try applying your own advice," he said to her.

"Jesse, my shit is nothing like yours."

"We might not have the same problems but yours might be the reason you spend your entire life sad and alone," he snapped at her and regretted it. His words hurt her. He saw the hurt in her eyes for a few seconds before she looked away.

"I'm sorry," he rubbed his forehead. "But, Bec, you might have a problem maintaining a relationship but the way you acted at the party was all you," he said, looking up.

"Jesus Christ," she murmured, tilting her head to look at him. "Jesse, I freaked out because a bunch of kids freaked me out. That's all."

"Nope," he disagreed. "See, I think you freaked out because I'm an embarrassment."

When he wanted to talk with her, he initially wanted to apologize and put it all behind them but somehow he was getting worked up.

"Don't be ridiculous, Jesse." She rolled her eyes at him.

"Why doesn't anyone know we're dating then?" he asked. "Don't say work because I'm sure as hell your family and friends wouldn't tell a soul if you ask them not to."

She opened her mouth to say something then changed her mind and stopped herself. "15 minutes are up. I'm going to bed," she said instead. He reached for her arm and held it.

"Let go," she firmly said. He pulled her to him instead and rested his hand on her back.

"It hasn't been 5 minutes," he let go of her arm to tuck a loose curl behind her ear. "You agreed to 15 minutes," he held her chin up when she looked away from him. He pressed his slightly shaking hand on her back, pulling her closer to him.

Beca looked between his eyes, that carried so much frustration, and his lips then leaned up and kissed him.

She was tired and if they kept arguing they will end up waking everyone up because yelling was inevitable: she had a short temper and he was on the edge and overreacted to everything.

He didn't kiss her back at first then gave in when she cupped his cheek and tip toed. He thought she was initiating an angry sex scenario but she didn't make any attempt to move things forward and it confused him.

She wanted to calm him down. Sure she wouldn't mind if things escalated and they ended up having sex but her main purpose was to calm him the fuck down. If she answered his question he would end up feeling like crap because his self-esteem was so low already.

He was annoying but she understood where he was coming from—at least she liked to think she did—but it was tiresome. And, she would be lying if she said that she didn't want to just shut down completely. She kind of did on the ride to her dad's house. But, she loved him enough to try and pull more effort into their relationship.

Beca pathetically melted into the kiss they were sharing: she didn't hear her dad when he cleared his throat.

Dr. Mitchell cleared his throat for the second time and it worked.

"This dead air is a really good sign," she awkwardly said as she looked at her dad whose eyes traveled between her and Jesse, who was anxiously drumming his fingers on her lower back.

"Um, you might be wondering why we were just kissing." She remove the hand that had made its way to the back of Jesse's neck.

"Actually, no," Dr. Mitchell said.

"Really?" she arched her eyebrows.

"What I'd like to know, though, is whether or not you were going to tell me about this if I hadn't caught you." He crossed his arms across his chest, his tone implying that he was well aware of the nature of their relationship before catching them and was waiting for her to tell him. "Why am I even asking?" he shook his head. "You never tell me anything about your life."

He sounded more hurt than angry and she understood him very well and felt like shit for being a shitty daughter to him.

"Don't forget to turn off the lights when you're done doing whatever it is you're doing, and keep it down," he said, turning on his heels.

"Dad, wait," she called after him, stepping away from Jesse. "I'm sorry, okay?" she apologized when he did wait. "It's just," she paused not knowing what to say exactly.

"Beca, you don't have to tell me," Dr. Mitchell said noting the look on his daughter's face. She was really trying to find a way to explain herself.

"It's just… it's complicated," she shrugged. Jesse scoffed, earning the attention of Dr. Mitchell.

"Saying that our relationship is complicated is understatement," Jesse said when Dr. Mitchell kept eyeing him.

"You're the one complicating things," Beca turned to look at him. He looked at her in confusion. "You say you want to talk and when you hear things that you don't actually want to hear you zone out and start behaving like a 4 year old: incapable of understanding that you can't get what you want all the time."

"Says the girl who avoids serious conversations like the plague."

"You serious right now?"

"Yeah, you completely shut down almost every time we have a serious conversation or just leave."

"Okay, time out," Dr. Mitchell stepped in seeing that they were warming up to a pretty shitty fight.

"Beca, you're not the easiest to have a conversation with and you do shut people out when you don't feel like talking and that's not fair," he said to his daughter.

Jesse smirked, pretty pleased that Dr. Mitchell was siding with him.

"What Beca said about you isn't fair to her either," he turned to Jesse.

Dr. Mitchell looked between them then sighed. "You have to find your common ground and stick to it," he paused. "So, what is the one thing that you two can agree on despite disagree on many things?"

"We love each other," Beca quietly answered her father.

"A lot," Jesse added.

"Keep that in mind before you start hurting each other with your words, will ya?" he told them.

They both nodded.

Dr. Mitchell blew a breath then shrugged. He had no idea what was up with them but seeing Beca bit her fingernails meant that she was dealing with a shit load of anxiety.

"Nicole said you broke up," he said as he eyed Jesse's hands that were clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. "Did you lie to her too?" he looked up at his daughter.

"You and mom talk about me?" she asked.

"Where do you think I get updates on you?" he asked back. She nodded, feeling guiltier, then answered his question, "No," she shook her head. "We did break up," she mumbled while biting her nails. "I just didn't tell her we got back together," she shrugged.

"Why?" he asked.

"She's embarrassed by me," Jesse pointed at himself.

"That is not true," she said behind gritted teeth as she snapped her head to look at Jesse.

"Beca," Dr. Mitchell called slowly. "Why?" he repeated his question, stifling a yawn.

She really didn't want to answer him because it was going to hurt Jesse. So she gave herself some time to sort out her thoughts and come up with an answer better than _'Our relationship is demanding as fuck and I'm getting sick of walking on eggshell because I'm scared for Jesse but I love him so much and can't give up on him again.'_

"Our relationship is very shaky, and I really want it to work," she paused as she laced her fingers together while she looked at them, "I just don't want to tell everyone that we're back together only to break up like a month later, again."

"Okay, reasonable" he nodded. "Why do you think Beca's embarrassed by you?" he looked at Jesse.

"It's hard to be specific really," Jesse blew a breath. "Like, just now at the party—"

"—here we go again," Beca murmured, shifting her weight onto her left leg.

"—Beca dropped her grandmother's ring. I found it. When I gave it to her, the kids at the party thought I proposed and Beca freaked out and made marrying me sound like the last thing she'd do."

"Jesse, like I said before," Beca said, tilting her head, "I am not embarrassed by you," she tried to sound as calm as possible. "Why is that so hard to believe?" she asked as she tried to think of an answer to her own question.

Jesse had PTSD from the accident where he and Sandra, his ex-wife, lost their unborn baby. She helped him cope with his feelings when she slept with him then.

Beca realized, as she eyed Jesse frown and give no answer (in other words zone out) that having sex again with her could have triggered the stuff he had been ignoring and bottling up and made him overreact like he did.

Beca looked up at her father.

Yeah, no way she was going to talk about her sex life in front of her father.

Dr. Mitchell was yawning and wanted to go back to bed yet didn't want to leave them because there was a lot of tension in the room and he knew his kid: she's stubborn.

"I'm gonna go to bed," Beca said, picking up the bucket that had the cloth she used to clean the vomit from the floor. "15 minutes are up," she looked at Jesse before she started making her way out of the kitchen. "Good night, dad," she said to her father as she walked pass him.

* * *

After cleaning the bucket, Beca made her way to her bedroom and wasn't surprised when she didn't find Jesse.

She decided to let herself and him calm down before they talked again. She changed into a t-shirt and a pajamas shorts then climbed on her bed.

 **30 minutes later.**

Beca couldn't fall asleep. She couldn't stop thinking about Jesse. Her internal thoughts were starting to annoy her. She grabbed her IPod and headphone, deciding to listen to some music.

Beca closed her eyes as _The Cure's Boys Don't Cry_ started to play. She tried to lose herself in the music; listen carefully to the baseline, the drums, the guitars, the pacing, etc. But it was hard. Really. Hard. She usually broke down the song and figured out how they made it to get herself to stop thinking but it difficult.

"Yeah, this isn't gonna work," she muttered as she pushed the covers aside and climbed off of the bed while removing the headphones.

She climbed down a few case of the stairs then bent to get a better look at the living room to see Jesse lying on the couch.

Hearing her footsteps, he shifted in a way he was facing the couch.

"Jesse, I know you're up," she sighed as stood by the couch. (She didn't.) "C'mon, Jesse, turn around," she said and smiled when he sat up after a beat.

Beca sat down next Jesse and took his hand, when she saw him out of the corner of her eye reach to her hold her hand with then pull away, in hers.

"Forgive me?" he asked, interlocking their fingers and rubbing his face with his free hand.

"Yeah," she said, squeezing his hand. She tucked her head into the crook of his neck when he threw his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him.

"I don't deserve you," he sighed, rubbing her arm.

"You deserve the best there is," she looked up. "But the odds of finding the best are pretty slim so I recommend you work with what you got until you hit jackpot," she said jokingly but he could tell that she actually meant what she was saying.

"I don't want to be with anyone but you," he held her chin up.

"We're really fucked up," she finally said.

She had a weird commitment problem, she chances of her running away from him at some point in their relationship were pretty high, and he was having trouble getting over the trauma the loss of his baby left him with and basically was a ticking bomb.

He laughed then nodded.

"I thought about why you were acting like a PMSing teenage girl," she cupped his cheek. "I think that sex between us triggered your PTSD," she slipped her hand to the back of his neck and scratched it. "You're going to see a shrink as soon as we're back in New York," she said while gazing into his eyes. "You could, like, get a piggy bank and give it to me when it's loaded with cash 'cause I'm paying." She kept studying his face, looking for that frown he always had whenever she offered to pay—Well, this time around she wasn't offering, she was telling him—She didn't see a frown, instead there was a small and sad smile on his lips.

"Okay," he leaned in and kissed her.

Giving each other space did work. She no longer felt like shutting him out despite how much she really wanted to. And, he seemed less tensed. Beca considered it a small victory.

She pulled him to her and deepened the kiss. When it started to heat up between them, Jesse pulled away. "Wait, you said sex triggered my post-traumatic stress," he breathlessly said.

"I said I think," she paused. "Jesse, I can honestly say that I don't fucking care what you do next because of your post-traumatic stress. I love you and I'm willing to roll with your shit."

"No, I could hurt you," he shook his head.

"Jesse," she cupped his face, "It's just a guess." She Shrugged. She really wanted to get laid. "I don't know if it's true. We won't get an answer until you go see a therapist."

He slowly nodded, still not completely on board. Any worry he had went out of the window when she leaned in and kissed him.

"Wait. Beca, stop," he mumbled between kisses then pulled away when she climbed on his lap, clearly not listening to him. "Your dad told me that doors aren't soundproof," he said after catching his breath. "He heard us last night."

"So what?" she asked as she leaned in.

"There's nothing wrong with the fact that your father heard us having sex?" he rhetorically asked. She rolled her eyes in response. She was too turned on to really care about what he was saying.

"Let's go to the basement," she climbed off of his lap and grabbed his arm as she walked towards the basement.

* * *

Beca woke up from a quite refreshing and unplanned nap to Jesse's singing voice. Her, most of the time depressing, boyfriend rarely ever sang anymore so it was really great to hear him sing Lady Gaga's Judas.

Beca joined him in the living area to find him sitting on the sofa surrounded by sheets. He had a calculator in hand and was simultaneously typing on his laptop.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she stretched.

"I'm doing my taxes," he told her.

"Ugh," she made a face and bent down to play with Bender.

"Yeah, and, unlike you, my mom doesn't do them for me," he looked up. She rolled her eyes, straightening up.

"The deadline is April the 15th." Beca started to make her way to him. "We're not even half a week into January." She grabbed his laptop and put in on the coffee table. "It can wait." She climbed on his lap.

"I like to do them and get it over with," he shrugged, putting the calculator aside then placing his hands on her waist.

"Did I wake you up?" Jesse asked.

They put on a movie to watch and Beca fell asleep before the first act finished. She had a really long day at work and was tired. If it were to her she would have went home and crashed. But, she was going to L.A. for three days and she wanted to hang out with him because after returning from Barden she had so much work to do and hardly saw him.

The executive, who was sent to announce to the New York branch that they were going to cut it off and who promised Beca to make a case for the branch if they manage to make 250 thousand dollars by New Year, kept his word.

She was going to L.A. to basically beg her bosses to give the NYC branch a shot and not fire everyone.

"No." She woke up because she was hungry. "Had dinner yet?" she asked while running her fingers through his hair. He shook his head.

"If had known you were going to wake up anytime soon, I would have made something," he ran his hand up her back. He thought she was going to wake up the next day from how exhausted she looked. He actually put on a movie to watch so that she could sleep. She wanted to spend time with him but she clearly needed sleep and he saw it so he let her sleep.

"Pizza?" she suggested, grabbing his phone that was on the coffee table.

"Yeah," he nodded and watched her unlock his phone.

"Sandra," she handed him his cell when it rang then climbed off of his lap. "I'll make an order with my phone," she told him as he brought his phone to his ear.

When she came back he looked happier than when she left and she had only been gone less than 5 minutes. She hopped on the couch next to him.

"Sandra is dropping Sam over tomorrow," he said as he threw an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him.

After nearly losing his grip on Christmas Eve when he went to see Sam, he was afraid of how Sandra would react if he tried to see their daughter again. Beca made him see how silly he was being and sat him down then dialed Sandra's number who did exactly what Beca told him would do.

Sandra agreed that he could have Sam for a day and not more because their daughter got used to living with her mom and it would mess her up if they went back splitting the week right away. He was happy with the outcome. He missed his girl, a lot.

"That's awesome," she looked up and pecked his lips.

He didn't tell her why he hadn't seen his daughter in months but it wasn't hard to guess. He felt guilty and didn't want his daughter to be around him. He was still guilty but ever since he let Beca in his life, she tried to make him see the importance of seeing his daughter.

"What are you planning to do with her?" Beca asked. He seemed excited about having his daughter over and she liked seeing happy.

"I don't want to suffocate her with my love, so I'm gonna keep it simple."

"You gonna make her watch a movie?" she guessed.

"Yeah, and play dough maybe," he blew a breath, anxiously.

"Well, have fun." She leaned up and kissed him. Pulling away she tilted her head to look at Bender when he barked.

"Your dog is in love with you," she commented when Bender climbed on the sofa demanding attention from Jesse.

"Bec, you have to learn how to share," Jesse shrugged as he played with his dog.

"I don't share what's mine," she told him and watched him grin cheekily at her.

"So possessive." He looked at her in mock worry and shock.

"Shut up," she rolled her eyes when he wouldn't stop grinning and looked away, grabbing her phone and unlocking it.

Jesse rubbed Bender's muzzle, chuckling to himself.

* * *

 **AN:** I've been feeling like shit for quite some time and I am not sure this chapter is decent. I prefer to wait until I feel better then sit down and write but I didn't want you guys to wait around when I have the chapter planned out in my head. I'd appreciate a review.

This story's end is going to start in the next chapter which means there should be like 3 chapters left to write. Depending on the response this chapter gets, I'll see if I could get right into them despite feeling low.

Alrighty thank you for passing by. Aloha.


	29. Chapter 29

Chloe had finished giving Beca a tour of her and Tom's new home and excused herself to the bathroom, leaving Beca by herself in the kitchen. Beca used the time to text Jesse. She missed her weirdo.

(Beca had a meeting with the executive she had been in touch with over the branch's case at the headquarters then took a cab and went straight to Chloe's new home.)

Last time she and Jesse talked was when she texted him informing him she landed in L.A. which was in the morning.

They didn't talk during the day because she was working and he was spending the day with his daughter.

It was nearing 8 pm (11 pm eastern time) when she pulled her phone.

 ** _'You still up?'_ ** she texted.

He didn't text back right away so she figured he went to bed. She shoved her phone in her pocket.

"You okay?" Beca frowned eyeing Chloe when she came back, looking pale.

"Yeah," Chloe nodded. She filled herself a glass of water and sipped from it.

Beca kept eyeing her friend who was acting weirdly and wasn't completely her bubbly self then pulled her cellphone when it vibrated.

 _' **Yep.'**_ She read Jesse's curt reply.

 _ **'What movie did force your kid to watch?'**_

 _ **'Toy story 3.'**_

 _ **'How hard did you weep at the ending?'**_ she texted.

 ** _'I didn't.'_**

His curt replies were weird.

 _ **'What about Sammy?'**_

 _ **'She cried her eyeballs out a couple of hours ago.'**_

As she read the words he texted her a picture of Sam sleeping. Looking closely at the picture, she noticed a bandage around Sam's ankle and a Band-Aid on her eyebrow.

 _ **'What happened?'**_ she texted.

 _ **'She was playing with Bender and fell off of a chair.'**_

She was about to type her reply when sent another text.

 _ **'I was cooking, I didn't see her. It's my fault.'**_

Beca knew Jesse. And, knew what blaming himself meant. She had to call and make him understand that it wasn't his fault but not right away because Chloe collapsed out of the blue. Beca stuffed her phone in her pocket and ran up to her.

"Hey, hey, hey," Beca wrapped her arm around her friend, holding her up. "Wow, you're heavy," Beca murmured.

"Tom!" Beca called loudly for Tom who was on the second floor, working. "Tom, get down here. Chloe's fainted," she said while supporting her friend's weight.

Beca heard Tom's footsteps as he ran down the stairs.

* * *

Sitting half asleep at a hospital was not how Beca imagined her first day in L.A. would end.

Tom, Chloe's husband, shook her awake and handed her a cup of coffee.

"Thanks," she took it from him and brought it to her lips.

"Beca, go catch some sleep. I'll call you when she wakes up."

Tom watched her shake her head and stifle a yawn. "I'm staying." She rotated her neck.

He took a seat next to her and exhaled loudly.

Beca patted his thigh a couple of times then rested her head against the wall.

"I'm going to stay with Chlo," he said as he got on his feet. "Beca," he looked at her.

"I'm not leaving. Go," she gave him a small smile. She knew hospital policies: she wasn't family she didn't have the right to be in Chloe's room. Chloe had anemia. She always had it. But for some reason it made her collapse this time. Tom didn't want to her know the reason and she respected his wishes.

All she cared about was that her friend was fine.

* * *

 **16 hours later.**

Beca was smiling when she got close enough to Chloe's room to hear the voices coming from inside the room. Standing in front of the door it didn't take the people in the room to notice her.

"You gonna get kicked out if you don't keep it down," Beca said as she eyed Chloe, Fat Amy and Emily.

"When did you get here?" Fat Amy asked Beca.

"Yesterday," Beca answered. "I was going to come over to your place after seeing Chloe first. You know how she get cranky if I see anyone before I see her," she told Fat Amy.

"I thought you were the alpha," Fat Amy paused, "you know, alpha wolf? She's the beta. She plays by your rules and not the other way around."

Beca rolled her eyes at Fat Amy's ridiculousness then sat down at the foot of the bed.

"How are you, red?" Beca asked.

"I'm okay. Waiting for some test results to know if I'm good to go.—how did your meeting go?"

Beca stuffed her hand in her jacket's pocket and pulled her phone when it chimed. "Just a sec, Chloe," Beca got up when she saw that Jesse had finally reply to her. His text read: _**'Fine'**_

It was an answer to her previous text: _**'How's Sammy's ankle?'** _ She was testing the waters with that question.

"I need to make a quick phone call," Beca mumbled as she brought her phone to her ear and walked out of the room.

She stood in a far enough distance so that her friends wouldn't hear her.

 _"Hey, Bec,"_ Jesse said first.

"Hi," she replied. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep texting last night."

 _"Yeah, I read your text."_

She sent him a text explaining what had happened.

 _"Is Chloe okay now?"_ he asked in concern.

"Yeah."

 _"I didn't call 'cause I figured you'd be busy."_

"It's okay," she ran her fingers through her hair. "Did you drop Sam at her mother's?" Beca carefully asked.

 _"She came over and picked her up,"_ he answered after a beat. She waited for an elaboration but he went quiet. "Did she say anything?" she asked.

 _"The way she looked at me is enough. I'd understand if she wouldn't let me have Sam again. I mean, I'm the reason she lost her baby. Can't risk losing the other one."_

"It's her ankle. No one would lose their life because of a sprained ankle."

She forced eye shut. She knew it would happen. She knew he'd blame himself.

 _"It's fine, Becs,"_ he assured her but she didn't buy it. _"Tell me about work."_

She was about to yell over the phone and tell him that it's not fine then realized that he was doing the same thing he did when he called her on Christmas: hear her talk and distract himself from his thoughts.

"The meeting didn't go smoothly, duh," she sighed.

 _"They're not giving you the money?"_

"They're going to but there's a condition."

 _"And how bad is this condition?"_

"It's not bad per se." She leaned against a wall. "I'd have to stay in the New York branch. If I take the position in L.A. there will be no money and everyone will get fired."

Her bosses saw that she was a winning card and made them more money than anyone had before in the New York branch with a small budget. They were not going to invest in that branch if she leaves it.

 _"Beca, you tried. You did what you could do to help. Don't let them manipulate you into staying in New York. And, don't feel bad because it's not your responsibility to secure everyone's job. The branch was a sinking ship when you got there. You understand that, right?"_

"Yeah," she nodded. He told her what she needed to hear, badly.

 _"Babe, I know you care about your current co-workers but you can't let anything hold you back. You want to be back in L.A., your home. You don't even like New York. You make sure to remind me of how much you don't like it whenever there's a rainstorm or snowstorm or we're in subway or anywhere, actually. You once mentioned seeing a rats as big as cats on the street when we were in bed, which, by the way, is a real mood killer. I mean, who talks about rats where they're naked in bed?"_

She smiled because she remembered talking about rats while they were lying in his bed.

"You didn't see them, they were ridiculously huge. It's like they were hooked on steroids. You don't see that in L.A."

 _"Still, you could have picked a better timing,"_ he was chuckling as he talked. _"Anyhow, you don't like New York in the slightest. You have a job in L.A. waiting for you. You will kick ass there. Just don't forget about me."_ He sighed the last sentence.

They haven't talk about how they were going to do the whole long distance thing. She was actively avoiding it. She really didn't want to think about being away from him and only seeing him on occasions. She also was stressing over the fact that he was so vulnerable and has a lot of issues that required her to be present in his life.

She was aware of how she was going to get consumed by work once she took the position in L.A. She wouldn't find that much time for him. Jesse couldn't exactly flight over to L.A. whenever he had time because he had better things to spend money on and he wouldn't let her use her miles or pay for him.

"I won't."

She couldn't if she tried.

 _"Did the hospital discharge Chloe yet?"_ he asked.

"She should be out of here soon. A few tests results to be sure then she'll go home." She rested her head against the wall.

 _"That's good."_

"I think I'm gonna cut my trip short," she told him.

 _"Why?"_

"I'm done with work. I'm going e-mail them my decision from New York anyway. I have until this year's budget meeting to tell them what I'm going to do."

She wanted to be there for him. She could distract him over the phone for hours, but she was damn sure the moment she hangs up, he will eat himself up with guilt.

 _"What about the girls? You told me you missed them."_

"Yeah." She really did.

Beca glanced at Chloe's room at the swift whistle she heard to find Emily at the door.

"I'm going to get coffee want anything?" Emily quietly asked. Beca shook her head answering Emily.

Emily nodded and started to make her way to the hospital cafeteria.

 _"Have fun in sunny L.A. 'cause it's snowing here and will continue to snow for the next couple of days."_

He wanted her back in New York but ruining her stay in Barden on Christmas was enough. He could manage on his own and not let his needy-self take over him. Moreover, he had to learn how to function with having her around.

"Okay."

 _"I have to go, now, Becs. The new bartender is struggling,"_ he told her.

"Please, call when you need to vent about anything. I'm here. We're in different time zone but you know what I mean."

 _"Yeah, I know. I love you."_

She could hear the bitter sweetness in his voice.

"You too," she replied before he hung up the phone.

* * *

Once Jesse laid in bed after a really long day at the bar, he had nothing to distract him from his thoughts. He tried a movie then a video game and they didn't work.

He hated that nothing would get the awful thoughts he had in his head but Beca. She really knew how to fix him.

He hated that he couldn't keep his daughter safe and sound for a full day.

He hated the way Sandra looked at him and tried to hide her disappointment.

He hated that the heavy sigh she let out as she walked away with their daughter made his heart ache.

He hated that it made him hate himself even more.

Jesse sat up and grabbed his phone. The therapist he went to told him that he was indeed suffering from PTSD and that the guilt he was feeling is called survivor's guilt, which is a symptom of PTSD.

His therapist told him to reach out for his support system whenever he had the self-loath thoughts that his guilt caused.

He had one person to turn to: Beca.

Jesse looked at his contact list then dismissed the idea of calling her. He was sure that he was going to ruin her day by talking about his problems. He was going to make her worry.

Instead of calling her, he decided to go through the pictures he had of her on his phone.

Looking at pictures made him want to talk to her even more. It was 2:41 am. 11:41 pm in L.A.

He decide to send her a text. If she's still awake she would text him back.

 _Jesse 2:43 AM_

 ** _'I saw a huge rat at the subway station and thought of you.'_**

 _Beca 2:50 AM (11:50 PM PST)_

 ** _'A rat reminded you of me.'_**

 _Beca 2:50 AM (11:50 PM PST)_

 ** _'Wow.'_**

 _Beca 2:51 AM (11:51 PM PST)_

 ** _'You really know how to make a girl feel special.'_**

 _Jesse 2:51 AM_

 ** _'It was huge, Bec.'_**

 _Beca 2:52 AM (11:52 PM PST)_

 ** _'Did you at least take a picture?'_**

 _Jesse 2:52 AM_

 ** _'It was really cold and I didn't want to expose my warm hands and end up with frostbites on 'em.'_**

 _Jesse 2:52 AM_

 ** _'How was your day?'_**

 _Beca 2:55 AM (11:55 PM PST)_

 ** _'Exhausting.'_**

 _Jesse 2:55 AM_

 ** _'Then what are you doing up?'_**

 _Beca 2:57 AM (11:57 PM PST)_

 ** _'I should be asking you that.'_**

Jesse eyed her text. If he told her why he couldn't sleep, he'll make her worry about him which was a no-no.

 _Jesse 2:57 AM_

 ** _'I can't sleep 'cause I got used to holding you until I fall asleep.'_**

 _Beca 2:58 AM (11:58 PM PST)_

 ** _'Hold Bender. He and I are about the same size and have the same kind of feelings for you.'_**

 _Jesse 2:58 AM_

 ** _'Dude, I'm trying to be romantic!'_**

 _Beca 2:59 AM (11:59 PM)_

 ** _'What? He's in love with you. Also, you started it with the rat.'_**

 _Beca 3:00 AM (00:00 AM PST)_

 ** _'PS: don't call your girlfriend dude when you're trying to be romantic, dude.'_**

 _Jesse 3:00 AM_

 ** _'Noted, snuggle bunny.'_**

 _Beca 3:01 AM (00:01 AM PST)_

 ** _'You welcome, [Insert generic lovey-dovey pet name]'_**

Jesse chuckle reading her reply.

 _Jesse 3:01 AM_

 ** _'What did the girls make you do?'_**

 _Beca 3:02 AM (00:02 AM PST)_

 ** _'You know, girl stuff.'_**

 _Jesse 3:02 AM_

 ** _'You hit on men? Do each other's make-up? Get trashed on rosé? Have pillow fights? Complain about men while getting your nails done?'_**

 _Beca 3:03 AM (00:03 AM PST)_

 ** _'All the above. +make out with each other. You know, 'cause women usually have softer lips?'_**

 _Jesse 3:04 AM_

 ** _'I think I should take offense at what you said.'_**

 _Beca 3:04 AM (00:04 AM PST)_

 ** _'Your lips aren't as soft as girls; you should consider using some lip balm.'_**

 _Jesse 3:04 AM_

 ** _'I'm offended.'_**

He texted with a grin on his face.

 _Beca 3:05 AM (00:05 AM PST)_

 ** _'I'd pat your back if you were within touching distance.'_**

 _Jesse 3:05 AM_

 ** _'If you were within touching distance I would do stuff my lips that would make you take back what you said.'_**

 _Beca 3:06 AM (00:06 AM PST)_

 ** _'You could try.'_**

 _Jesse 3:06 AM_

 ** _'Are you underestimating me?'_**

 _Beca 3:07 AM (00:07 AM PST)_

 ** _'Nope. Nevertheless, you are my favorite person to make out with.'_**

 _Beca 3:07 AM (00:07 AM PST)_

 ** _'Even though women DO have better lips.'_**

 _Jesse 3:07 AM_

 ** _'That's nice to hear but it's not enough to make me feel better.'_**

 _Jesse 3:08 AM_

 ** _'Hint: say something sweet and or romantic.'_**

 _Beca 3:09 AM (00:09 AM PST)_

 ** _'I don't know how to live without your love_**  
 ** _I was born to make you happy_**  
 ** _'Cause you're the only one up in my heart'_**

Jesse laughed out loud before typing his reply.

 _Jesse 3:10 AM_

 ** _'Britney Spears, really?'_**

 _Beca 3:10 AM (00:09 AM PST)_

 ** _'Is it working?'_**

 _Jesse 3:11 AM_

 ** _'Yes. It would work better if I heard you sing it.'_**

As soon as he sent out his text, Beca called. He picked up and grinned hearing her sing.

 _"I was born to make you happy_

 _Always and forever, you and me_

 _That's the way our life should be_

 _I don't know how to live without your love_

 _I was born to make you happy"_

She yawned at the last word then sniffed before saying, _"Cue dramatic sound effect while looking at the horizon."_

"Also, cue me leaving you alone so that you could sleep."

Beca chuckled on the other end of the line. _"You'd think that spending a night at the hospital would slow Chloe down,"_ she yawned, again.

"Did she make you run a marathon or something?" he asked. She sounded tired over the phone.

 _"No, I just did a week worth of bonding activities in a day."_ She exhaled loudly. _"And, I didn't get much sleep last night. Hospital chairs are seriously terrible!"_

"Were you with your gal-pals when I texted you?"

 _"No, I was in a taxi. It was just me and the taxi driver and now I'm in my hotel room—why aren't you sleeping really?"_

"I was playing assassin's creed and I didn't feel the time pass," he told her. It was a white lie. He was playing assassin's creed but it had nothing to do with why he wasn't sleeping. "Now that I heard your voice, I think I sleep."

 _"Glad I could help,"_ she told him and sniffed.

"Are those sniffs yawn related or did you catch cold?"

 _"Both. I think going from sweaters and coats to a t-shirt and a light jacket wasn't a wise decision on my part."_

"You think?" he paused. "Well, drink some tea and have a couple of painkillers."

 _"I will. Right after an awesome steamy bath."_

He groaned at her words that she purposely said in a low voice. She chuckled. _"Sucks that neither one of us has a bathtub in their apartment,"_ she said.

"Tell me about it," he sighed. "Well, enjoy your bath. Don't forget to drink something for the cold."

 _"Thanks. I will."_

"Good night."

 _"Love you. Good—"_ she sneezed mid-sentence. _"Jesus, good night,"_ she sighed.

"Wrong name, babe," he said in amusement.

 _"Shut up."_

He chuckled at her respond. "I love you too."

 _"Don't actually hold Bender to sleep, weirdo,"_ she said.

He chuckled again, "Good night, Beca."

Tossing his phone away, Jesse felt slightly better. He didn't tell her like his therapist advised him to so the same thoughts that he pushed back while talking to Beca slowly made their back.

* * *

"Wow, you do not look happy," Matt said once Beca made her way to him while dragging her suitcase.

"No shit," she told him. She flew across the country while nursing a hangover and having a slight fever from the cold she caught.

"How cold is it?" she asked as she wore her coat.

"Freezing cold," he took the liberty of pulling her hoodie over her head. "You look cute," he smiled as she glared.

"Say that again and I will end you," she calmly told him as she took off the hoodie.

"Grumpy and feisty. Okay," he chuckled. "You sick?" he asked, noting how raspy her voice sounded. She nodded.

"That sucks." He turn on his heels, glancing over his shoulder to see if she was following.

"Thanks for picking me up," Beca said as Matt pulled out of the parking lot—which she rolled her eyes at because why did he pay for parking?

"You're more than welcome," he glanced at her. "How was L.A.?"

"A lot warmer than New York." She looked out of the window.

"How did your meeting with the board go?" he asked.

"Those fuckers see in dollar signs," she paused to sniff. "I'm the only reason they wouldn't go on with their amazing plan which means that I have to stay in New York."

He nodded. "Guess I'm gonna start looking for a new job."

Feeling Beca's gaze, Matt looked at her to find her staring.

He didn't even ask if she was considering to stay in New York and it was a little odd since his and friends jobs depended on her staying in New York.

"I'm thinking boom operator. Do they go to school to hold a stick with a mic at the end?" he asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "I saw your dad and he asked me about you," she started to say and saw him grimace. "Matt, you have to tell your parents."

"I just haven't seen dad yet," he shrugged.

"Well then tell your mom! Dude, it's really shitty to lie. I only played along because we're friends. Even though it was a really dick move of you to forget to mention that your parents think we're dating or correct them—"

"—would you go out on a date with me?" Matt cut her off.

"What?" she frowned.

"Would you go out on a date with me?" he tilted his head to look at her when they stopped at a red light. "Beca, I really like you. And, I know for a fact that you don't hate me. Do you think we could on a date?"

For the first time since Beca had met Matt, she saw a glimpse of nervousness in his eyes—His forest green eyes that once she looked at had a difficulty looking away from.

 _Beca, focus!_ —she told herself and blinked.

Matt was watching her and gripping the steering wheel.

"I'm going away to the other coast; why the fuck would you want to get involved with me?" she asked and didn't really expect an answer.

He nodded at the unspoken NO and drove off once the light turned green. "And you know that I don't even think of you that way. We're friends."

"You dated your best friend."

"Yeah, but that's different."

"How?" he asked.

"It's hard explain."

"Try me," he shrugged.

"With Jesse I had time forget him when he went away but I couldn't. My feelings kept growing for him instead of fading," she cautiously told him.

"And, I'm guessing they're still there," he glanced at her.

 _You have no idea_ — she looked away from his gaze.

"You haven't tried to kick him out of your system that hard," he casually told her.

"Okay, I think this is enough talking about my personal life," she dryly told him.

"You need try harder, that's all I'm saying."

"How?" she asked in amusement.

"Um, you know, cut all ties, block his number, a few one night stands, some you time, then get back in the game," he shrugged.

She smiled to herself as she looked out of the window. Matt really had no idea about what he's talking about and she envied him a little because hadn't experienced heartache like she did.

"Thanks for the advice," she thanked him feeling his gaze.

* * *

"I'm sorry I asked you out," Matt apologized as he pulled over in front of Beca's apartment complex. She shrugged because it wouldn't change anything. She knew he liked her.

"I'll see out tomorrow at work," she smiled at him as she unlocked the door.

He got out of the car as well and unlocked the trunk to grab her suitcase.

"I just thought that I should give it a shot. Like, I know I'm not that great," he paused putting the suitcase down. "But I'd hate to keep thinking of 'what if'— those thoughts are the worst."

"I get it, Matt." She gripped the suitcase's handle. "You knew very well what my answer would be but you are right; regret sucks." She shrugged. "But seriously, Matt, tell your family!"

"I will, I promise!" he assured her as she pulled her phone from her pocket. "Is everything okay?" he asked noting the frown she had on her face.

Beca nodded while typing back on her phone. "Thanks for the ride," she thanked him again and turned on her heels.

* * *

Walking inside the elevator, her phone rang. She quickly picked up on the unknown number that had already texted her. "Hello?" Beca said first.

 _"Hi, Beca, it's Sandra,"_ Sandra paused.

"Yeah, I read your text," Beca replied. "Is everything okay?"

Sandra texted asking if she got her number right. Beca answered with a yes.

 _"It's Jesse, he called me and he didn't sound like himself. He kept ranting about how sorry he is and I'm honestly worried about him. I'm not in the city and I can't exactly go to him."_

"Rant? Did he sound drunk?" Beca asked, praying that it wasn't the case.

 _"No,"_ Sandra answered. _"He wasn't slurring or anything. He just kept apologizing—I only called you because you're the only person I know that he knows in New York."_ Sandra sounded apologetic.

"Yeah, you did the right thing by calling me. I'll go see him and tell you," Beca paused. "Um, how did you get my number?" Beca asked.

 _"Back when you and Jesse were seeing each other, he gave it to me in case I couldn't reach him with Sammy was him."_

Beca nodded because it made sense. But what didn't make sense was the fact that Jesse sounded okay when she talked with him. Sure, they didn't really text during her third day in L.A. but it was just because she made it clear to him that she was going to spend the day with her friends and that they will grill her if she kept texting him.

* * *

Beca put her suitcase in her apartment then raced to the subway station. Her head was throbbing and she cursed Amy because it was _her fault_ —why did she have such poisonous alcohol? Beca didn't want to get drunk but there was no way she was going to watch a movie, a romantic one, without a drinking game.

Reaching Jesse's apartment complex, she didn't have to ring the bell; the doorman let her in. She knocked on Jesse's front door and waited until he unlocked it.

Beca kept her expression neutral when he opened the door.

He had dark circles under his eyes. A five o'clock shadow. He didn't look like he showered yet; his hair was messy.

"Beca," he forced a smile, opening the door wide open. "When did you get here?" he asked as she walked in.

"If you checked your phone you would have known," she told him in a calm voice.

"Sorry," he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Where's Bender?" she asked looking around.

"He's asleep in my bedroom," he answered quietly.

"Sandra called me," She told him. "She told me that you called her," she paused when he nodded.

"You know that what happened with Sam is totally fine, right?" she asked as she followed him to the couch where he sat down.

"You don't know what you're talking about," he told her, his voice cold.

"I actually do," she disagreed and held his chin up. "Why didn't you tell me that you're hurting, Jesse?"

He shrugged. She sighed and dropped her hand. "Did you eat yet?" she asked as she looked at the pizza left overs on the coffee table. Jesse shook his head.

"Me neither," she said, tilting her head to look back at him. "Go shower. And, after that we could make something together." She ran her fingers through his messy locks then leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek. He nodded then got up and walked to his bedroom. Few seconds later, she heard him run the shower.

Beca curled up on the couch, resting her eyes a little. She was tired; she underestimated her fever. And was also; jet-lagged, hungover, and sleep deprived.

* * *

Jesse sat down next to her, fresh out of shower. She sat up and eyed him. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants over his boxers and unzipped sweatshirt.

"I don't think I can make food," she sniffed. "What do you say we order something?" she arched an eyebrow at the look Jesse had in his eyes. He was sad and angry yet his eyes were kind. It was a weird and confusing mixture.

He pulled her to him and hugged her tightly, a little too tightly.

"I'm sick," she told him when he leaned in to kiss her.

"I don't care," he said against her lips and kissed her. She kissed him back at first but when he laid her down on the couch and his kisses got a little intense, she pulled away.

"Jesse, I can't," she cupped his face. "I'm tired," she told him. He went for her neck and started to nibble it, ignoring what she said.

"Jesse, stop!" she tried to push him off of her. His response was to hold both of her wrists over her head with one hand.

"You're hurting me," she winced at how tight he was gripping her wrists.

The kindness in his eyes was driving her crazy because it didn't make sense. How could he hurt her while still look at her with so much love?

"Beca," he breathed against her lips. "I need you." He pressed his lips against hers.

"Not like this," she mumbled pulling away, in full panic mood. "Jesse, please stop," she begged him in a cracking voice once he reached for her pants and unzipped them.

She could feel the hot tears spilling from her eyes, as she looked up at the ceiling, helpless. Until she remembered Bender.

"Bender," she called loudly. Jesse's dog would never let them make out while he's around. A dog was literally her last hope before Jesse did something that she won't ever forgive him for.

"Bender," she cried in desperation. She kept calling the dog until her voice gave up on her.

"Please don't cry," Jesse wiped her tears with his free hand and pressed his lips against hers while positioning himself. She bit his lip so hard he start to bleed and pulled away.

Hearing Bender bark, she tilted her head, watched him run up to them and start pulling Jesse's leg.

Jesse loosed his grip on her wrists giving her the opportunity to slip her arms and push him away. She didn't look back when Jesse called for her.

She couldn't exactly get out of the apartment without him catching up and not letting her leave the apartment so she went to his bedroom.

Beca locked the door and leaned against it. She looked down at herself and wore the pants, which were down to her thighs, properly before adjusting her bra all the while crying.

"Beca, please open up," Jesse banged on the door. Bender jumping on his leg and snapping him out of what he was going to do hit him like a cold bucket of water. He couldn't believe that he was capable of hurting Beca.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what took over me," he continued to bang on the door and felt his heart sink when he heard her cry.

Beca forced herself to stop crying and wiped her tears with the back of her sleeve. Crying wouldn't get anything done.

"I won't hurt you again. I swear." She heard him say as she walked into the bathroom. She washed face and exhaled loudly while eyeing her wrists that were red and inevitable were turning into bruises.

She clenched her fists when her hands started shaking. She knew there was no chance she could over power him when she was tired and sick and it scared her.

Making her way back to stand in front of the bedroom door, she heard him cry and tried so hard to keep herself from crying.

"What do I do, Beca?" he asked.

"Leave."

She rested her head against the door and closed her eyes when she later heard him get out of the apartment.

She made her way to the window and waited until she saw him step out of the apartment complex.

* * *

 ** _AN:_** Welp, I don't really know what to say. I don't know if what went down in this chapter would sit well with anyone. Let me know if you hate it, your thoughts on how this story will end and whatever you wanna say basically.

 _PS:_ I foreshadowed the last part of this chapter in an earlier chapter.


	30. Chapter 30

**AN:** thank you for encouraging and reassuring words guys, they truly mean a lot.

I wrote this chapter today which is super weird and rapid for a 4k long chapter. I listened to a lot of Iron and Wine while writing this chapter. I don't know if it would matter in anyway but you might wanna check out Such Great Heights, Upward Over The Mountain, and Each Coming Night while reading this chapter. They were inspiriting and they're pretty dope ass songs.

Anyway, enjoy and thanks for dropping by.

* * *

 _ **The next day.**_

Beca ran into Matt who wasn't doing any work, as per usual, in the break room. He was sitting by the table eating a sandwich.

He gestured for her if she wanted to eat and she shook her head.

"Break isn't for another hour," she reminded him as she set the machine.

"I know," he swallowed. "But I'm hungry. Sue me."

Matt frowned when Beca leaned against the counter and huffed running her fingers through her hair. She took a pill for the fever and headache but it wasn't doing anything to her yet and she really needed it to do its magic instantly.

"What's that?" he asked when his eyes fell on her wrist. Beca subconsciously pulled her sleeves down at his question.

"It's nothing," she turned to the coffee maker and eyed it.

She closed her eyes when she heard him walk to her. "I'm gonna touch you, please don't actually sue me," he said jokingly but she could hear the seriousness in his voice as he reached for her shoulder and turned her around.

"How did this happen?" he asked as he carefully rolled her sleeve up and held her arm.

"A stupid accident," she sniffled her running nose. Matt nodded while rubbing circles on her skin then glanced at her other hand and took it in his.

Beca quickly pulled her hands and gave him her back.

"What kind of accident leaves you with two banged up wrists? Did you get arrested or something?" he asked, he kept his tone light but was seriously concerned.

"Or something," she mumbled, pulling her sleeves down before she grabbed her cup of coffee.

* * *

Beca busied herself with emails until lunch hour came around. She had no appetite but also didn't want to spend two hours in her office all alone to her thought that weren't pleasant.

Stepping out of the building, Beca started to walk down the street then froze when Jesse crossed the street, running to her.

She kept a stoic expression as she eyed him. He looked like shit. His bottom lip, that she bit, was swollen. He didn't seem like he had any sleep. He was panting and didn't seem to have prepared what to say to her.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, stepping closer to her.

"Don't touch me," she said in a nonchalant voice, taking a step back.

He nodded. "Go ahead, Beca," he told her as she looked at the sidewalk. "Tell me to fuck off. God knows I deserve more than that." He saw tears fall from her eyes and knew he was causing them.

"Beca, how can I fix this?" he asked. He reached over to tilt her head and made her flinch at his touch. The fear he saw in her eyes broke his heart. He took a few steps back and put his hands up in defeat. "I won't hurt you, Bec. Yesterday, I was in an awful place and I can't blame anyone but me for letting myself get there. But I swear I will never hurt you, again." He swallowed, seeing that she didn't seem to believe him—he had trouble believing himself so he didn't blame her. She looked behind him and had a panicked look on her face instantly, "Matt, don't—"

"You motherfucker!" Matt pulled him by his shoulder and landed a punch on his nose.

Jesse took a few seconds to register what happened. He sniffled the blood he felt coming from his nose and dodged the next punch from Matt.

Beca knew that Jesse didn't stand a chance. Matt was athletic and taller than Jesse. He could easily hand him his ass.

"Matt, stop," she shouted.

"This fucker hit you. He should spend a night in the hospital," Matt told her while he threw a punch at Jesse, his fist landing in Jesse's stomach.

Seeing that Matt wasn't going to stop throwing punches, Beca stepped between them, shielding Jesse. "Stop," she sniffed, holding Matt's gaze. "Jesse didn't hit me," she told him. Matt frowned in confusion as he unclenched his fists.

"But your wrists—"

"Stay out of this," Beca cut him off then turned to Jesse. She eyed his bleeding nose then grabbed his hand when he tried to touch it. "Don't," she said, letting go of his hand as if it were burning hers. "You'll make it bleed even more," she leaned up to check if it was broken. It didn't look fractured.

Beca grabbed Jesse's arm, reached for Matt's as well, and walked them with her back to the label in silence.

She led them to the break room then let go and walked to the fridge, pulling a couple of cold burritos from the fridge and handing them to both Jesse and Matt.

"Press it on your knuckles," Beca told Matt who was about to open the burrito and eat it.

"Jesse, go sit down and keep your head elevated," she told Jesse while she grabbed a chair and climbed on it to get the first aid kit, wondering if it actually had anything in it.

"Matt, could you please give us a minute?" Beca asked, while keeping her gaze focused on the kit in front of her, after she helped Jesse stop the bleeding.

"Nope," Matt answered. "I'm not leaving you with him."

"What, your Beca's self-proclaimed bodyguard?" Jesse asked.

"You should be glad Beca stepped in," Matt told him as he opened the wrapper and took a bite from the burrito.

"Matt, please leave," Beca looked up. He nodded. "Call if you need anything," Matt said as made his way out. Seeing that he closed the door, Beca took a few steps away from Jesse.

"I went to see Dr. Martins yesterday when you told me to leave," Jesse started to say as he watched Beca uncomfortably rub her temples. "She gave me a legit explanation. It doesn't change what I didn't and almost did but it's given me some peace of mind and I wanted to tell you." He winced a little, pressing the burrito under his eye. "She said that a part of me was seeking comfort from you. Sex with you helped me cope with my feelings the day of the accident and yesterday I must have gotten to that place again."

Beca nodded at what he said.

"So, this is basically my fault because I suck at comforting with words," she shrugged.

"Don't say that," Jesse got up. "I'm sorry, Bec," he apologized. "I never meant to hurt you and I really don't know how to fix what I did."

"Me neither," she answered, meeting his gaze. "I do know one thing though," she sniffed. "This," she nodded between them, "isn't healthy." She pulled her sleeves down. "I think we should take a break," she said in a low voice.

"You wanna break up?" he asked rhetorically as he removed the burrito.

"Jesse, please don't make this hard." She wiped her cheeks. "I can't be with you like this," she paused to compose herself a little. "I've never been more scared in my life than I have yesterday," she confessed. It hurt to keep it down and she had to get out of her chest.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized. "I really am."

She nodded at his apology and wiped her cheeks again.

"Guess this is goodbye then?" he put the burrito on the counter.

"No," she blew a breath. "You're not getting rid of me until you get better," she told him.

Her words made him smile in spite of himself. He had a tiny hope that they could work things out eventually. And, he was scared he'd hurt her again despite how much he tried to convince himself otherwise.

They both tilted their heads when the door got unlocked.

"You took too long," Matt said as he eyed them. Beca looked away and wiped her tears. "Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Beca answered.

"Don't you have an interview today?" Beca asked Jesse, remembering he was interviewing for an internship.

"Yeah, it's at 3:30," he nodded.

"You should go get ready," Beca said.

"I think I'm gonna skip. I highly doubt they'd hire someone who recently had a fist in his face," he glared at Matt.

"I'll write you a recommendation," Beca sniffed. "Tell them you got into an accident but didn't want to miss the interview, they'll see how serious you are about this internship," she told him.

Beca was proud of the front she had put on. She was aching and breaking up was tearing her up on the inside but she couldn't do it anymore, not when he was capable of hurting her. But she meant what she said, she wasn't going to bail on him. She was going to help him until he no longer needed her help.

"You can either wait here or follow me to my office," Beca told Jesse as she started to make her way to her office. He followed her.

"You gonna spend the rest of your break writing him a recommendation letter?" Matt asked following her.

"Yeah," she unlocked the door and got in. The internship was very important to Jesse. A letter from the director of A&R praising a composer she had personally worked with will definitely help him a lot. She took a seat in her chair and looked up.

"You think you could get me a hot dog from the truck down the block?" she asked Matt. Matt hesitantly nodded. "Want anything to drink with that?" he asked.

"No," Beca smiled at him then shifted her gaze to look at Jesse who took a seat on a chair facing her office and winced touching his face.

* * *

Beca was anxiously biting her nails, in a diner not far from where she worked, instead of finishing the waffles she ordered.

It had been _**thirty-three days since the incident**_ , thirty-two days since she and Jesse has broken up, and thirty days since he had gotten the internship.

She wanted to be a good friend to him and even talked to his shrink and asked her for pointers and tips.

It sucked to be apart but at the same time, and as long as she couldn't shake off the fear she had, she knew they couldn't get back together. The bruises on her wrists faded but the way she felt was still a constant.

She loved him but couldn't let herself be with him.

Beca wasn't supposed to be working yet she had a binder in which she put the drafts she had made for her A cappella arrangements.

Her personal life had interfered with her work a lot recently and she needed to get a grip and work harder.

Beca looked up from her binder, hearing a familiar voice. She tilted her head at the source and saw Nick, her ex-boyfriend from college who on had made it clear that he wanted her back. He didn't try to get in touch anymore so she figured he gave up.

She brought her milkshake to her lips and took a sip as she watched him help a pregnant woman sit down at a booth not far away from hers. The woman looked very pregnant. He must have felt her gaze because he looked her way. Beca waved meeting his gaze and arched an eyebrow at the uneasy look he had when he saw her.

"How are you been, man?" she asked, purposely trying to get the woman's attention.

"Beca," he called, smiling at her after the initial reaction he had. "I've been well," he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You?"

"Same," she replied.

Beca looked at the woman, feeling her gaze.

"Aren't you gonna introduce your friend, Nick?" the woman asked, smiling kindly at Beca.

Beca nodded along, agreeing with the pregnant woman.

"This Lana," he paused, "my wife." He looked up at Beca. "Lana, this is Beca we went to college together," he said while holding Beca's gaze. She felt like he was silently asking her not to mention that they dated.

"Congratulations," Beca told them as she nodded at Lana's baby bump.

Nick owed her some explaining because either he was trying to cheat on his pregnant wife or they were on a break. Either way, he needed to clear things up.

Beca hated cheaters and she once kissed him. True, she only did it to stop Jesse from following her around after the first time she broke up with him. However, Nick had a wife therefore; she could have done something she hated about people.

"Thank you," the woman rubbed her hand over her belly. Beca smiled at her then looked back at her binder.

"Were you and Nick friends in college?" she heard the woman ask.

"Honey, Beca looks busy," Nick chimed in.

Beca closed the binder and looked at Nick who sounded like he really didn't want the two to be talking and it really made her think he's guilty of trying to cheat on his wife with her.

"We dated in college," Beca told her.

"Oh," Lana said in surprise. Beca pursed her lips together and was grateful Jesse walked into the diner. She gestured for him to join her.

Jesse looked well put together for an outsider, but Beca knew he was barely keeping it together and that he was pulling so much effort to get his life back on track. What Jesse liked to refer to as the incident, because it was easier to refer to it by that than what it really was, was a wakeup call.

They decided to meet up every Thursday at the diner near the label. It was Beca's suggestion; Jesse knew that she didn't trust him to be alone with him in a closed room.

"Hi," Jesse said as he looked at Beca then at Nick and his pregnant wife where Beca glanced.

He frowned because he knew Nick and remembered his intentions too well. Beca yelled them at him in a fight. It was somewhat hard to forget.

"It's good seeing you, Beca," Nick said before holding up the menu and ending their interaction.

"Isn't that…" Jesse trailed off.

"Yeah," Beca nodded, pushing her plateful of waffles his way. "I'm full. Wanna eat those, they're still warm?"

He nodded and pulled the plate his way. Beca grabbed her milkshake busing herself.

"Who's that with your ex-boyfriend?"

"His wife." Beca licked her bottom lip after swallowing.

"Didn't you say he wanted you back?" he frowned.

"Yeah, he's got some explaining to do," Beca opened the binder again. She glanced up when Jesse clenched his fist. "Jesse, I just kissed him, it's not a big deal," she calmly told him.

"You hate cheats," he said as if he was reminding her. "You could have fell for whatever sick plan he had!"

"Or they could have worked things out," she said, trying to convince herself more than convince him. She really wanted Nick to explain himself then sucker punch him if it turned out that he was planning to cheat on his wife with her.

"Do you really think that's the case?" he kept looking at her until she looked up.

"Jesse, I will deal with this on my own," she firmly told him. He sucked in a breath then nodded unclenching his fist.

"How was the internship?"

"I don't know what you have written in that recommendation letter because my boss loves me," he told her as he brought a waffle to his mouth.

"I put in a spell in the first few lines of the letter that make the reader think that the sun shine from your tight ass," she joked then looked away from him, not sure if they were in a place where she can joke around about his ass.

"No, seriously Becs, he's being really great and it has been barely a month." He paused to swallow.

"Maybe because you're a total catch?" she said. "You really are," she added when he rolled his eyes thinking that she was still joking.

"So, my therapist said I should try and drive," he told her changing the subject.

"Drive," she frowned.

"Yeah," he nodded. "She said it's a milestone that I have to reach and I can't reach it if I don't try."

Beca shook her milkshake slowly, thinking. "Want me to be there when you get behind the wheel?" she asked. He looked down at the waffles and shyly nodded.

She didn't say anything so went ahead and told her, "I don't want you to think that this is me being dependent on you. I just want you to be around because you deserve to see progress. I don't want you to feel like you're wasting your time with me."

"You don't owe me shit, Jesse," she held his gaze. He scoffed and looked out of the window and at the street.

"I'm serious," she insisted. "See nick over there," she nodded at Nick when Jesse looked at her. "I could tell you enough stories from our time together you'd think we wouldn't ever go our separate ways but we did. It sucked for a while then it stopped sucking over time. Now when I think back at the three years I spent with Nick I'd always think of the good times," she paused for half a second. "And because I broke up with him, I was able to meet Crispin. Whom because of I met you, nerd." She felt pain in her throat and had to pause again to make sure her voice stayed even. "Now that we called it quits you'll get to meet someone else and will, at some point, remember the good times, even if they weren't much, you shared with the weird girl that once had an awfully complicated relationship with," she smiled sadly at him. "I know I will."

She grabbed her milkshake and sipped from it while she avoided his gaze.

"So you're saying that I'll somehow forget all the pain?" he asked. She nodded.

"If you let yourself," she said after swallowing.

Jesse nodded slowly, soaking in everything she had said to him. If he understood correctly, she told him that she'd eventually forgive him and forget the bad days and that she won't be the last woman he'll fall in love with.

Beca pulled her cellphone when it chimed with an e-mail notification.

She hummed as she unlocked her phone.

"What's up?" Jesse asked.

"The budget meeting is in a week. They're sending me a friendly reminder." She put the milkshake on the table and started typing an e-mail.

"You haven't sent them your decision yet?" Jesse asked in surprise. It was clear that she was heading back to L.A. She had no reason to stay in NYC.

"I have now," she put her phone back on the table and picked up her milkshake. "I've been busy," she waved it off when he kept eyeing her.

* * *

 _ **Two meet ups later**_ , Beca started skipping. Jesse figured she was busy getting ready to go back to L.A. and told her not to bother herself. He had shit under control, mostly.

She had a life and he was trying to accept that he no longer was a part of it. No matter how much Beca insisted that they were okay as friends. He could still see that she wasn't actually okay. She had her walls protecting her and he didn't blame her. He scared her and doubted she'd feel safe around him again.

She texted him on his birthday in the last week of February to wish him a happy birthday and that was the last he heard of her.

He didn't try to contact her anymore after that. He was trying to be an adult and let her go for good.

He knew she was still in New York because he frequently saw Mae and she told him that she and Beca were still working on her album.

* * *

It's a Friday, when Mae asked him if he was going to help Beca pack the next day, that he figured Beca was leaving. And, she didn't tell him that she was.

He went home feeling low after that. It hurt that she didn't tell him. He thought he deserved a proper goodbye.

Jesse gave Bender his food then jumped on his bed, burying his face in his pillows then lifted himself and groaned remembering that Sam spilled glitter all over his bed. (When he found the glitter on the bed the day before he told himself he'd clean it the next day and forgot about it.)

He got up knowing that he needed to shower to get rid of the glitter that his two-year-old daughter had gotten her hands on.

He still didn't know how she did.

His little girl was growing up and it was amazing how fast she welcomed him back into her life. Sam liked spending time at his place. He knew Bender was a huge factor but still it was great to know that his daughter didn't hold being absent from her life for several months against him.

He decided to clean the room then shower and somehow ended up doing neither.

He came across a folder he long forgot he left under his bed, hidden from Bender's claws and teeth. The folder had several pieces he wrote. He went through them until he came across one that was quite special to him.

It was an unfinished piece he started writing the night he got stitches on his head then got into a fight with Beca.

He remembered being so angry with her when he started it.

After a pack of beer, sorrow and frustration replaced the anger.

And as the writing started to look less like musical notes and more like a toddler's scribbles, the notes started to speak for how he truly felt about her behind all the anger and frustration; he loved her.

He promised himself to finish the piece but never came around to. He decided then to finish it and give it to Beca as a farewell gift.

Jesse spent the entire night working on it. All he knew that she was packing the next day. He had no clue when she was actually leaving and she didn't tell him so he doubted he'd know.

He wanted the piece to speak to her volumes when she would hear it or play it.

Jesse's goal wasn't to change her mind, he knew he couldn't even if he tried. It was too late. He just wanted her to know exactly how he felt about her.

He finished it at 7:11 am. Satisfied with the product, he decide to go and shower at last.

After showering, Jesse sat down and recorded it with using a keyboard software, which Beca introduced to him, then loaded it into a flash drive to give to her along with a copy he hand copied off of the piece.

* * *

2:07 pm, Jesse woke up to the loud crashing noise in the kitchen.

"Shit," Jesse jumped from the couch. "Shit mother fucking shit fucker," he cursed as he eyed the time.

He remembered deciding to rest his eyes while coffee brewed. He didn't remember falling asleep.

Jesse found Bender trying to reach for his box of dog food, that Jesse left on the counter the night before, and had made a mess in the process.

Jesse quickly fed him then ran to his bedroom, wearing a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and an unzipped sweatshirt over it. He slipped on his converse, grabbed the music sheets for the piece and stuffed them in a folder. the flash drive, his phone, change, metro card and his cellphone all went into is pockets. Then he hit the road.

* * *

Jesse anxiously paced the distance between the subway station and Beca's apartment then stood still when he saw a moving truck hit the road. "No, no, no," he murmured, seeing Matt's car follow it and confirm for sure that it was Beca's. He couldn't follow it on foot. Taxies seemed to disappear when he actually needed them.

Jesse looked around and felt like the unluckiest man walking the grounds of the big apple—it was a slight exaggeration but that was how he was feeling.

* * *

The end.

Just kidding.

The next and final chapter will up when it's written.

Thank you for reading, I'd like to hear opinions. So, leave a review if you want. Until next time, ciao.


	31. Chapter 31

Jesse took a sip from his coffee while the journalist facing him made some notes. The journalist had been interviewing him for over half an hour for the Indiewire magazine, and so far, he thought he was doing great.

"Let's talk about your breakout work," she paused. He nodded for her to keep going.

"When I was doing my homework about you, I noticed that you've never mentioned the story behind its enigmatic title," she said as she glanced down at her clipboard. "So, what's the story behind B0917?"

Jesse leaned back against his seat and brought the cup of coffee to his lips, giving himself time to think, and as he did, he found himself thinking back a certain day…

* * *

 **A year and nine months earlier.**

Jesse was standing in the middle of the street watching the moving truck, as it kept getting further away, and only moved when an angry car driver honked his car while yelling at him to get on the sidewalk.

He took a look around him and saw a bunch of kids doing tricks with their skateboards. He instantly had an idea.

"Hey," he called as he stuffed his hand in his pocket and pulled the 100 bucks he had. "Who wants to sell their skateboard?" he waved the bill.

Seconds later, Jesse was skateboarding, following the road Beca took.

You can't think of New York traffic and not cringe. It was horrible and it worked to Jesse's advantage.

It wasn't long until he started to catch up but the fact that he pulled so much effort in mere minutes he began to slow down; He hadn't done any kind of sports in more than a year. He was very out of shape. It soon started to become difficult to stake.

* * *

 _At the same time._

Beca was driving the moving truck while listening to Chloe's one-sided conversation with her husband for the nth time since she landed in NYC. She and the rest of the Bellas have all came back to New York to finish recording their album.

"BabeIhavetogonowbye," Chloe ended their conversation all of the sudden, dry heaving into her hand.

Beca pulled over as soon as she could, turned off the truck's engine and hopped off following her friend who ran to a trash can.

She rubbed Chloe's back as she continued to dry heave into a trashcan, feeling terrible for her friend.

"You okay?" Beca asked when Chloe went quiet. Chloe nodded. "Need a few minutes until the nausea calms its tits?"

Chloe nodded again and straightened up, sucking a deep breath.

"Everything okay?" Matt asked after he finally found a spot to park.

"Pregnancy side effects," Beca told him. "Isn't the nausea supposed to ease up a little after the first trimester?" Beca asked in confusion.

"Not everyone experiences the same pregnancy symptoms," Chloe answered her.

"Well, that's unfortunate." Beca rubbed Chloe's back.

The pregnancy was still news to Beca. Chloe had kept away from her and everyone until she passed the first trimester. Her anemia wasn't a threat per se but its complications were. So, they kept it under wraps. Chloe told Beca and the rest of the Bellas about her pregnancy when they got together in Beca's apartment the day they all arrived to NYC.

Beca looked behind Mae's car when she parked and frowned in confusion seeing Jesse get off of a skateboard less than 20 yards away from them.

She stopped rubbing Chloe's back then started making her way to him.

"Jesse?" she stuffed the truck key in her pocket meeting him half way through.

"Hi," he breathed out, wiping his sweating brow.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

He pulled the folder he had managed to tug into his jeans' back pocket, "I finished it for you," he told her.

Beca took the folder, which was, literally, folded, and unfolded it. Her eyes fell on the title and instantly recognized it as the title of a piece that he didn't want to sell.

"Oh." Was all that came out of her mouth.

"I recorded it with a virtual keyboard," he said as he stuffed his hand in his pocket and pulled the flash drive. "In case you wanna listen to it on the truck," he shrugged, presuming the truck had a USB port.

She took it from him and started to look through the sheets. He wanted to hug her goodbye but didn't know how she'd feel about it. There were a few times when her hand would accidentally brush over his during their meet ups but they haven't purposely touched since she help him with his nose.

She looked up feeling his gaze so he blinked.

"Thanks," she smiled at him; he could tell that she was confused as fuck.

"Good seeing you," he placed his foot on the skateboard and was about to turn around and take off.

"Wait," she called. He stepped off of the skateboard and watched her run her fingers through her hair.

"Um, how did the driving thing go?" she awkwardly asked.

"Working on it," he answered.

"Show me?" she hopefully asked pulling the key from her pocket.

He looked doubtful after glancing at crowd (Read: her friends.) that was watching them. "I don't wanna intrude," he looked back at her.

"I know," she held the key his way. He took it.

"Wanna try it?" he asked, seeing that she was eyeing the skateboard.

"Yes," she looked up. He chuckled when she carefully stepped on it and realized that she had never done it before.

"You good?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. As she carefully skated and he walked right next to her, ready to catch her if she slipped, Beca reached for his arm and held on to it. Her gesture made him feel a rush of different emotions that he had to hide from the crowd that awaited them.

Stepping off of the skateboard, Beca removed her hand from his arm.

"Hi," Jesse said to no one in particular.

"Red, you okay?" Beca asked to break the awkward silence.

"The truck is uncomfortable, Bec, I think I'm gonna ride with Matt," Chloe told Beca who looked slightly better. The truck could seat 3 people but it was obvious to the redhead that Beca wanted to be alone with Jesse.

Shortly after that they were all back on the road.

Jesse drummed his fingers on the wheel. He was following the GPS and was wondering where it was leading him.

"Where did you get the skateboard from?" Beca asked.

"I bought it from a kid," he replied. Driving was still hard for him and he was trying to calm his nerves, which made his replies curt and made him anxious that it would lead Beca to think that he didn't want to talk to her.

"For the hundred bucks I had on me. Now, I'm broke," he elaborated.

"You're a shitty negotiate-r."

She plugged the flash drive and loaded the recorded file and Jesse's anxiety leveled up. If he were a Pokémon he would have evolved three times by now.

Jesse stole glances and hated the fact that Beca was so good at masking her emotions when she wanted to. He couldn't read anything. She had a blank look on her face. He caught a frown at the ending of the piece and it worried him.

"This is…," she trailed off, lost at words. "This is so beautiful, Jesse," she told him.

"Glad to know you like your farewell gift," he smiled, relaxing a little.

"My what?" she asked in confusion.

"Farewell gift?" he glanced at her, frowning at the look on her face. "You know, since you're moving back to L.A.," he shrugged; proud his voice didn't betray him.

"I'm not moving back to L.A.," she told him. Jesse hit the brakes and cued for a symphony of honks from other drivers.

"What do you mean you're not moving to L.A.?" he asked.

"Jesse either drive or park." She looked out of the window for a second.

"Sorry," he shook his head and resumed driving then parked.

"Why aren't you moving? You have a job there waiting for you. Your friends are there. You don't like New York."

"Can I talk or are you gonna keep listing things?" she interrupted.

"Sorry, go ahead," he gestured for her to talk.

"I had a talk with my parents when they came to visit," she started to say.

"When did you parents come?" he asked. "Sorry," he apologized when she pursed her lips together.

"Like a week after we broke up, dad called and weirdly asked if he could come over. Sheila had a work thing in Vegas. Anyway, I told mom and since she lives like 5 hours away; she made time and came too. It was really weird spending time with the both of them," she grimaced, "But in a good way," she quickly added.

"They knew something was up," she said and saw how guilt washed over Jesse. "I told them that I'm indecisive about the whole L.A. New York situation to get them off my back, and got some grade A advice," she said sounding impressed by her parents. "They both made great points. Mom told me that since I brought this branch back to life, or something," she rolled her eyes, "it would make the fact that I, the producer with zero experience, managed to do that forever remembered. And that it's an opportunity that I shouldn't waste." Jesse nodded agreeing with Beca's mother.

"And, dad told me that I'm what the branch needed to push the people in it to work; saying something about how they got someone serious to lead and guide and that I had a knack for leadership," she rolled her eyes again.

(Her dad was overselling her in her opinion.)

"I have a feeling that they both want me to say here cause it's closer to them but what they said made sense," she shrugged.

"My bosses couldn't believe I did what I did and offered me a raise if I stayed here; because it would cost less money to have me here than it would if they went on with their plan and fired everyone then started from scratch. Mom mentioned something about how I could become a partner at some point if I do it right—that needs a lot of work on my part. And, I am enough of a dick to boss people around and make them listen to me," she paused, getting distracted by his very focused eyes. "So, I decided to stay here."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"You never asked," she replied in a low voice, sounding hurt.

Jesse frowned. "I didn't know I had to ask," he said. "And you stopped talking to me so I figured I'd take a hint and leave you alone," he defensively added, not understanding her reaction.

She always told him that he had a problem accepting that he can't always have it his way; he thought he was doing a good job at fixing that flaw by leaving her alone.

"You didn't need me anymore," she shrugged.

Her words confused him.

"I told you I wouldn't go anywhere until you're better and I kept my word." She poked his shoulder. It was the second time she touched him without any hesitation and it took Jesse off guard for a spit second.

"You could have said something. Beca, you stopped showing up without giving me an explanation."

"And you told me "not to bother"," she said using air quotation.

"I thought you-you were skipping because it was hard for you to be in the same place as me," he explained.

"You could have asked instead," she said as she glared at him then shook her head and looked away from him.

Jesse watched her as she crossed her arms, leaning against the seat. He started the engine and resumed driving.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, sighing. "I should have asked," he nodded, admitting he was wrong and agreeing with her.

"I didn't elaborate on why I stopped talking to you because I've been seeing your therapist," she paused when he glanced at her.

" _Great_ , you started going to a therapist because of what I did to you," he nodded, clenching his jaw.

"No, I went to her initially to ask about you," she sighed. "I knew that I wouldn't any answer because of the confidentiality thing but I had to try because you wouldn't stop looking at me and not feel bad, which by the way is another reason why I didn't explain myself. I felt like I'm pulling you back from getting better and had to hear from your shrink that I wasn't doing that to you."

His expression softened a little as he nodded to what she said.

"We started talking and of course I got no answer," she paused. "Then she asked me if I wanted to schedule next time or should she expect me to show up again without an appointment. I figured then that seeing a shrink would be great. I could vent and she'd listen and shut up because I'm paying her, you know?"

"That's now how therapy works, Bec," Jesse said in amusement.

"I realized that, too," she nodded. "It was weird to tell her my darkest thoughts but it felt amazing," she looked at him.

"Yeah, it does," he agreed, relating. "I still don't get why seeing my therapist—our therapist— made you just bail on our friendship like you did."

"I wanted to get my shit together, too," she honestly told him. "We both got issues. We can't work together if we don't deal with our own demons."

Jesse didn't hide his surprise when she referred to the both of them as a we. He, of course, knew the pronoun we but he hoped she meant we as them in a relationship.

"You make a good point," he agreed, nodding slowly and deciding not to push it.

"Thank you," she thanked him and leaned against her seat.

"Mae told me you're doing okay, are you?" she asked.

"You and Mae talk about me?" he asked in surprise, tilting his head to look at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that look. She's our only mutual friend."

He grinned at her then looked back at the road.

"Dr. Martins says I'm doing all right," he shrugged.

"And do you believe her?" she asked.

He nodded. "I don't have night terrors anymore." He just had agonizingly cheesy dreams about Beca. "Sammy tripped and scraped her knee and I didn't feel like the bad guy when I took her to Sandra, even though her fall could have been avoided if I took better care of her."

"You're driving," she smiled at him. She saw how anxious he was when he first sat behind the wheel and he seemed more at ease now.

"Yep, that too," he glanced at her. "What about you, have you managed to fix whatever it is you have?" he asked.

"It's a work in progress," she sighed. He understood that she still had a long journey to finish _on her own._

"So, where are we going?" he asked, changing the subject. They have been in Manhattan for a while and he didn't recognize the area, the GPS said that the next turn would lead them to their destination.

"My new apartment," she told him as she looked out of the window and at the tall buildings that blocked everything.

He took the turn.

"My shoe sized apartment is seriously too small for all my stuff, that more than half of is stored in a self-storage unit. Since I'm not planning on leaving New York I decided to get a better apartment."

"Did your bosses double your salary?" Jesse asked as he eyed the apartment complex after pulling over.

"I could afford this apartment with my pre-raise salary," she shrugged.

"Why did you willingly stay in your less than luxurious apartment then?" he asked.

She sighed then decided to answer him honestly, as she had been ever since they got inside the truck. "I didn't want to hurt your feelings," she uneasily said. "I know you would never resent me for making more money than you but it didn't mean it wouldn't bother you."

Beca was so caring and thoughtful Jesse didn't know what to say. He settled for simply smiling at her then turn off the engine. "Looks like your friends made it before us," he nodded at the parked cars and the moving truck that looked just like the one he and Beca were riding.

"Here you go," Jesse handed Beca the key once they were on the ground and facing each other.

He turned to the truck and unlocked the door then grabbed his skateboard.

"You gonna head back back to Brooklyn?" she asked, stuffing her hands in her back pockets.

"Yep." He turn around and put the skateboard down.

"You told me you're broke," she reminded him. "Are you gonna _skate_ your way back?"

"I have a metro card." He stepped on it, moving it back and forth.

"Can I bribe you with pizza to stay and help?" she hesitantly asked.

"I don't think you need me, Bec," he told her.

She got the double meaning of his words and nodded. True, her friends were more than enough. But, he meant that she didn't actually need him anymore.

She was caring, thoughtful, and supportive; the least he could do is let heal _on her_ _own_ and not mess things up for her with the feelings he had for her.

"But we are best friends and I can't say no," he added, playfully running his hand over her face then pushing her away before remembering that his touch scared her.

This realization made him swallow and step away from her. She didn't run for her life like he prepared himself; instead, she threw her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly for less than he would have liked. If it were to him, he wouldn't break the huge until a full minute went by and it got super awkward.

Not to say that he was complaining.

He wasn't.

He was actually over the moon.

"Thanks," she quietly said after pulling away, slightly embarrassed by tightness of her hug.

She had been working on getting over her fear and the tighter she hugged him the more she was reassured that she at least got one thing fixed.

"C'mon weirdo, let's get started," Jesse glanced up at the sky, "I think there's a storm coming," he said noting the clouds.

"No, that's just New York sky," she waved it off dryly, and started making her way to unlock the truck so that they could start unloading it.

"You know, you need to start trying to tolerate the city," Jesse said as he followed her with a smile on his face, happy with the way things turned out. "You can't punch a city when it does you wrong," he added.

"You heard?" she glanced at him.

"Mae told me," he paused. "I want details. Did you knock out any of his teeth?" he asked.

"No." She shook her head and watched him climb onto the truck. "I didn't knock any of Nick's teeth out."

"Well, at least you did punch him and that is great." He handed her a box.

"What's great is that I won't get sued for it," she said over her shoulders as she started to make her way into the complex.

They started out as friends. They can go back to actually being friends because they loved each other so much they were able to put each first.

If Jesse tried explaining it better to anyone it wouldn't make sense. However, it did to him…

* * *

 **Present.**

"If I tell you I might have to kill you," Jesse said in response to the journalist's question who smiled understanding that it was private.

The questions continued and he found a way to balance between honest replies and humors things to say in order to avoid actually answering when he really didn't want to share.

"Thank you for your time," the journalist said once their time was up.

"Thank you for having me," he genuinely smiled at her.

"Shall we get the bill?" she asked.

"No, I think I'm gonna stay for longer," he paused. "Thank you for picking this place," he continued in appreciation.

He really liked the dim lit coffee shop that screamed the word INDIE.

He ordered a tea after the journalist left and leaned against his chair, looking at the rain outside as he started to get lost in the folk tune that played in the background.

"I thought she wasn't going to leave."

"Shit, you startled me," Jesse sat up, watching Beca sit where the journalist was sitting. "How long have you been lurking in the dark?" he arched an eyebrow.

"A while," she vaguely answered as she shrugged.

"Oh, I can't handle you stalking me, Bec."

She rolled her eyes.

"Congrats on the Grammy nod, I read the announcement online earlier," he smiled at her.

"Thanks, hot shot."

"How does it feel to be nominated two years in a row for Producer of The Year?" he asked.

"Pretty odd and unbelievable," she said.

"Well, you worked your ass off for what you have accomplished. I mean because of you Mae got the Best New Artist Award last year and my freaking piece was nominated for Best Instrumental Composition."

"Whoa, there," she paused. "Mae I get it. But I really did nothing for your nomination. You made both short and score."

"I wrote the B0917 piece for you and you were the one who insisted it was really good and needs to be heard by everyone. You gave the idea of writing down a short silent film. So, my notoriously humble lady friend, you did do a lot." He gave her a cheeky grin when she rolled her eyes.

"Fine." She put her hands up in defeat.

"Thank you." He brought the tea to his lips and took a sip.

"Hey, wait a minute, aren't you supposed to be on a plane to L.A.?" he asked.

"Weather delay, there's a storm and there won't be any flights until tomorrow," she said in annoyance.

"That sucks, ugh."

"Tell me about it. And, Chloe's kid is guilt tripping me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Look," Beca pulled her phone from her pocket then showed him a picture of her, year and a half old little, niece pouting. The picture was in a text from Chloe.

"Read what the caption says," Beca told him.

 _ **'Grace's face when I told her that her grumpy aunt is stuck in New York.'**_

Jesse chuckled and eyed the picture some more.

"We were supposed to go shop for Christmas." Beca took her phone once he handed it to her. "I was really looking forward to it."

"Which part? Seeing Grace or shopping for cute toddler Christmas clothes?" he asked, resting his elbow on the table then cheek on his palm.

"Both," she huffed, still clearly annoyed. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked once she caught him grinning at her.

"I think someone caught the baby fever," he told her.

"Who, me?" she scoffed. He nodded. "You're wrong. I just miss that little one. She's adorable, Jesse," she pouted a little thinking of the little kid.

"I know how adorable she is. You make sure to remind me all the time."

"And baby clothes are cute," she shrugged.

"They are," he agreed. "Bummer Sammy won't stop growing." He sighed. Sam was a month away from turning four and she's growing up too fast for Jesse's liking.

"You could still trick Sam into wearing silly toddler clothes," Beca shrugged again.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Do me a favor and buy her silly holiday clothes when do get to shop with Chloe."

"You don't have to tell me," she said as she reached for his tea. As she drank the warm liquid, Jesse glanced out of the window. "Bec, looks like it slowed down, let head out before the weather goes ape shit crazy again," he told her.

"Okay," she nodded, finishing the tea. Jesse quickly paid the bill and they were walking down the street to where Beca parked the car, that everyone insisted she needed.

"Jesse, look," Beca stopped by a store selling baby clothes. "This would totally look adorable on Grace," she pointed at a dress.

"Beca, just say the words and we'll make a baby," he told her while keeping a straight face as he talked.

"Ew, no," she pushed him away and continued to pace to her car.

"You totally want one." He caught up with her and slipped his arm in hers.

"Jesse, I just love my niece. Why does it have to mean that I want one? I like her because I see occasionally don't actually have to deal with the important parenting stuff. I don't want one of my own so if you would be a kind and drop this please; it's not even funny and it will give my parents a new thing they can gang up on me on."

"Beca, your parents insisted you bought a car. You are putting cars and babies in the same category and I'm officially _concerned_."

Beca groaned because she knew what was coming next.

"Beca, our relationship is very important to me and I really think that talking about everything in details helps _a lot_." He was using his Zen master voice on her that was a cross between Mathew McConaughey and Owen Wilson if they were high on morphine.

"I'm gonna kill you if you don't stop doing this weird voice," she looked up.

"We're supposed to complete each other; by killing me you're killing a half you. The better half of you, I might add," he continued in the same Zen master voice.

Jesse couldn't see her face but he was sure she rolled her eyes. He picked up his pace and sped her up with him because the rain started to get heavier.

"I hate rain," Jesse mumbled, getting inside the car.

"Hatred does not cease by hatred at any time; hatred ceases by love; this is an old rule," Beca sniffed, imitating the way he talked when he did the Zen master voice.

"Where did that come from?" he asked both in surprise and in mock-shock.

"I actually quoted Buddha. Take that, Zen master with the annoying voice," she said to Jesse and fastened her seat belt.

Jesse leaned over and kissed her when she looked up. "I find it endearing that you actually memorized quotes to beat Zen master with the _soothing voice_ ," he said the last two words in the voice, "at his own game."

"Yeah, well, Zen bitch needs to stop because he's annoying as fuck."

He chuckled because the only reason he did the voice was to annoy her.

"Bec, you know what day it is today?" he asked.

She nodded. "The 17th."

He buckled his seat belt then smiled at her. "We've officially been dating for three months. We need to celebrate."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen."

"Beca, this is huge!"

"I'm not in middle school; I won't take part in what you'll eventually want us to do," she said as she started the car.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he denied.

She sighed. "Play dumb all you want Jesse but I will only celebrate our actual anniversary which is an annual kind of thing. No monthly celebration." She smiled hearing him groan. "Besides, I already have a monthly celebration," she glanced at him.

"What's that?"

"Getting my period," she answered.

Beca was happy they haven't broken up ever since they were literally shoved into each other's face in a party because no one could take their "we're friends now" excuse anymore.

Of course, no one actually knew why they had taken a step back and decided to be friends instead. They talked and eventually agreed to try again but take it slow.

"Beca Mitchell, I hereby promise that I will make you celebrate all national holidays for the entirety of next year for depriving me, your ravishing boyfriend, from celebrating our relationship."

She shrugged in response. She knew for a fact that it wouldn't happen. Her schedule wouldn't allow it and neither would his.

"Good luck with that," she finally said then grinned at the annoyed look on his face.

He couldn't stay annoyed for long because he was singing along to the song in the radio, entertaining Beca despite what she claimed.

 **THE FUCKING END.**

* * *

 **AN:** Thank you all for reading. I hope you liked the story. This was fun and sometimes hard because I don't do drama well but I thoroughly had fun with it. I'd very much like to hear your thoughts on the ending. Big thanks to all of you for you for engaging. I'd hug you all even if you're not into hugs with strangers.

Update: Those who are interested in a continuation for this story, do tell, 'cause I have a premise that I'd very much would love to write into a story.

Update 2: Yo, I started a sequel for this story, it's called Carried Away. Dig up it up if you're interested.


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